7577/Milano Tales: A door between the daughters of Thanos

Milano Tales: A door between the daughters of Thanos
Date of Scene:	27 August 2021
Location:	Cockpit - Milano
Synopsis:	Gamora and Nebula talk through a door angrily at each other, until the door opens and they escalate to yelling and almost fighting again. Nebula is clearly sick of being the victim and Gamora might have bad motivations.
Cast of Characters:	Gamora, Nebula

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Gamora has posed:
    The situation on board the Milano is... complicated. Tense. Stressed. A number of the crew are hurt, at least two of them are flat out traumatized. The person they'd all sacrificed health and safety to save celebrated her return by maiming - likely fatally - one of the biggest proponents of her rescue, then took over the ship, and then played Shambala really loud for a long time.

    The situation is... delicate. And it will require a delicate touch.

    Gamora slams the bottom of her fist against the locked door to the bridge several times with her good arm, and yells "Nebula!! Open the DOOR!!"

    Right.

    Gamora's still working on delicacy.

Nebula has posed:
    Nebula has her feet up on the console, crossed at the ankles. Her eyes shut - she's having some relaxing time. Or, she was having some relaxing time until Gamora started banging on the door.

    With a huff she sits up and says, "No. Go away."

    She knew this moment would come eventually. Father will understand. Priorities shift. The Guardians are not going to be a threat if she can steer them away from him. All this she will explain once she has saved Rocket's life.

Gamora has posed:
    "I'll go away when you open the door and let me in!!"

    Gamora is also inexperienced at compromise and negotiation.

    Perhaps it was naive of her, but Gamora half figured that if Nebula was taking a ship in the opposite direction from Thanos to save a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, that maybe she was technically rejoining the clue. Maybe she was clinging to positives after the losses they'd suffered. But if Thanos taught his children anything, it's that you don't get what you want just by wanting it. And Nebula was always a big bundle of contradictions to one degree of severity or another.

    "We really need to talk!"

Nebula has posed:
    Nebula huffs and swivels the seat around to stare at the door. Gamora could be so stubborn sometimes. "We can talk through the door Gamora," she says almost spitting the name with anger. She was calm, she was relaxed, why'd her sister have to go and ruin that?

    As if she'd surrender the ship she hijacked just because Gamora 'wants to talk'.

    "You're an idiot," she says getting the conversation rolling. "I gave you the perfect chance to walk away from everything, just like you claimed you wanted. Then you dive right back in and get Peter's friend killed. That self-righteous bitch Phyla-Vell got what was coming to her and if you keep on this track... so will you."

Gamora has posed:
    Gamora's latest round of banging on the door ends after two knocks when Nebula lays out what she threw away - an ally's life, for one thing, and the safety Nebula had sacrificed herself for, for another.

    "I'm an idiot?" Gamora grumbles, before loudly repeating "*I'm* and idiot?! We conquered the Dark Aster for you! We killed *Ronan the Accuser* while he was wielding the *Power Stone!* If you had come home with us back *then*, none of this would have happened!"

Nebula has posed:
    Nebula laughs, "Did I ask you to come green knight me Gamora? I chose to go back. You're the one who wanted out, who wanted to be off fathers radar." Her voice darkens, "I've never stopped working for him Gamora." Before, and now. That statement is clear. Which also means she's never stopped working on her true goal - killing him.

    "Home is Sanctuary.. not this stinky little drama ship." She starts to frown and stands up, pacing, "Now father knows you're alive and that you took the power stone from him. May be you're not his favourite any more either." Though that last seems improbable.. no matter what Gamora does she seems to remain his favourite.

    "You had better not get in my way. I'm going to save the little fur ball and then I'm leaving."

Gamora has posed:
    A large part of Gamora's psyche is utterly disgusted with herself for how hard she seizes up when she's hit with the notion of losing Father's favor. 'Ridiculous child,' she thinks, 'haven't you learned anything?'

    Staring at a door, arguing for the millionth time with a stubborn sociopath with whom she's seemingly only EVER been able to agree with on who needs killing... it seems to her that maybe she hasn't.

    But Gamora's stubborn too.

    "Get in your way, Sister?" Gamora says softly, her voice seeming heavy and exhausted. "Who on this ship is getting in your way right now, Nebula? Literally everyone has agreed with your goal, and your course. You're *barely* even actually hijacking this ship anymore! All you're doing is hiding!"

Nebula has posed:
    Nebula approaches the door and there's a thump as she slams her palm agains it, "You take that back. You're all my hostages and I will do with you all as I please." Yes, you keep telling yourself that Nebula. She leans against the door, forehead to the space age polymer. Things could not have gone worse on Sanctuary. Father still did not trust her after Ronan's betrayal.

    "What did you think would happen. I'd come running back to you with open arms, we'd hug, there'd be floral scented Quill music in the air?" She scoffs and says, "You've been living in a dream land ever since you joined the Milano. I did you a mercy by getting you out of the family. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Gamora has posed:
    "We are nothing of the sort, Sister." Gamora says with an arched eyebrow. "You can't defeat us all, and only Drax will fall for the same trick twice."

    After Nebula's last statement, Gamora lets out a long sigh. "Nothing with you has ever been easy." she says, softly, and turns her back to the door, leaning her shoulders and head back against it.

    "I'm not stupid enough to think you'll ever love me, Nebula. But this ship? This strange smelly crew?" Gamora's silent for a moment. "You could have killed them. You could have killed them and left me alone here, if saving me was the point. It would have been far easier. Left far fewer loose ends, made your recording more convincing. You *know* these people were going to draw attention to themselves at some point. They can't help it."

    Gamora turns her head so her cheek is on the door, eyes looking to it as if she could regard Nebula through it. "But you didn't. You made a hopelessly complex plan, lowering your odds against a ship full of capable killers to save *all* of them. I know you can't... look at those memories the same way you used to. I can't... really imagine what it's like to be Reset..."

    Gamora shakes her head, "... but there's something inside of you that's capable of loving it here. Loving the music. Even with all the chaos and nonsense. Enough to go back to Father empty handed. I..."

    Gamora lowers her head, "... I want you to have a place like that. A place where monsters don't hurt you and scheme against you. I want you to stay."

Nebula has posed:
    The weird thing is.. Nebula has memories of emotions of loving Gamora. Properly. Not all the hate she feels toward her. Not the reset emotional state that Thanos likes best about her. But actual proper love. She can't feel it right now but she knows it's there. It scares her.

    Nebula's expression darkens as Gamora says 'reset' .. it's a bit of a trigger for her and she bares her teeth in anger at.. no one. A door. The door snaps open and Nebula shoves Gamora hard as she steps out of the cockpit.

    "What the hel is wrong with you. You're the damn monster Gamora. You might have all these simpletons fooled but not me. I know inside you'd sooner save your own skin than help anyone else. Me. I'm -better- than you Gamora." She's practically snarling.

Gamora has posed:
    Gamora's eyes go wide and she throws her arms to the sides, catching herself on the doorframe before she can fall back through the newly opened door - wincing as weight is put on her wounded arm - only to immediately be shoved forward.

    Gamora stumbles forward for a few steps, then wheels around to face Nebula with a glare.

    Gamora is visibly bristly, anger boiling its way to the top of her brain; rightous outrage and the plain stubborn *anger* of a woman who can't remember a time before the politics of respect and power didn't prohibit her from letting such things roll off her back.

    So it is that a badly wounded Gamora begins to growl, "I *sold*... my *freedom* and *safety* for you... I trawled the backwoods corners of *Earth* to find people stupid enough to help you..." Gamora's voice begins slowly rising in volume and ferocity as she slowly approaches Nebula, "I fought the Dark Aster, fought the Black Order, fed people who trusted me into a *meat grinder* for you, even though I knew that you'd *never* appreciate it!" and by the time she's in Nebula's face she's shouting furiously "DON'T YOU EVER TELL ME I DON'T *CARE!!*"

Nebula has posed:
    Voices raised, no doubt the whole ship can hear them now, "I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO DO ANY OF THAT!" But they'd wisely stay away from the two sisters arguing about this. Seething she pokes a finger at Gamora's chest, goading her in to another fight, "You put Rocket in my path. You're the reason he's almost dead." No. It's Thano's fault. But she hit a nerve, claiming Gamora was empty inside. She knows what buttons to push.

    "You're *impossible* Gamora." It left a bad taste in Nebula's mouth, on the Dark Aster, when Gamora told her she loved her. How dare she.. after all that they've been through. Some part of her knows these emotions she feels for Gamora are ancient forgotten wounds for Gamora but they are once again fresh. Fresh as the first day she was indoctrinated by their father.

    "You're selfish and irresponsible. You don't care about -me- you only care about how saving me makes -you- feel. You just have to be the damn hero don't you, couldn't accept the fact that *I* came out on top. That *I* don't need *you*."

Gamora has posed:
    Gamora's frustration and anger mounts with every word out of Nebula's mouth, the green woman gritting her teeth, and clenching a practically vibrating fist, when suddenly a startling thought occurs to her.

    Could Nebula possibly be right? If not fully, than at least partly?

    Even the uncomplicated part of Gamora's life was oppressively dangerous and frightening. Even in the time where they could afford to be foolish and enjoy themselves, they were surrounded by killers and opportunists. People who were capable of hurting them dearly for even the perception of disrespect. Even Father, whom Gamora loved so dearly; who, in her mind, was so forgiving in his twisted way, could put them through nightmares they would never forget in the name of discipline, of self improvement... of growing up.

    There was just Nebula. They were the only people who didn't need to fear each other. Didn't need to hate each other.

    Until Thanos took that away too.

    Could this really all have been for Gamora's gratification? Could she really have been chasing some idiotic fantasy of having that back?

    Gamora isn't the type to wallow in self doubt and pity, but for the moment it's taken some of the venom out of her. Her voice is low and tired when she says, "You're wrong. Rocket put himself in your path. Because he *wanted* you to be safe. I was the only one trying to make these people understand how *stupid* it was to help me, and none of them cared. Because none of them were doing it for me."

    "They were just doing it for you."

    Gamora's silent for a moment. "... I guess it never really mattered what I wanted, anyway. So. You beat me." She 'admits' though she's clearly not convinced, "You overcame Gamora Ben Titan and became the better daughter. Finally."

    "Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

Nebula has posed:
    Nebula's hackles are raised, her shoulders are rising and falling as she's taking deep breaths. This is as close to crying as Nebula gets. Her lips quiver a moment as Gamora points out that Rocket put himself in her way. Friend. He called her his friend. And she gutting him for it.

    All that blood, it never bothered her before. But all that blood and cyberbits. Someone did that to him, like Thanos did to her. And the rest of them, strangers too, putting them in harms way for her? it doesn't make sense - only idiots would take on Thanos to save one single person who didn't even want to be saved in the first place.

    And her victory over Gamora. So empty. So so empty. "Leave me alone Gamora. I never ask for any of this. I don't need it and I don't want it." She turns her back to Gamora and walks back in to the cockpit... though, she doesn't shut and lock the door this time around. Yet, she absolutely knows she needs it and part of her really wants it. Her defence mechanisms remind her she cannot afford to have it - not while father still breathes.

Gamora has posed:
    Gamora recognizes what's happening with Nebula's hevaior. It's hard to say if she ever really understood it before now, but after all this time... she's running out of ways to conveniently misinterpret her Sister's sorrow. Deflated as she already feels, that makes it difficult for Gamora to get any angrier at Nebula's stubborness right this second... or any more frustrated at the parts that make sense. What exactly DOES she expect to happen here?

    Maybe this pack of weirdos accidentally taught Gamora how to hope.

    "Nebula..." Gamora murmurs as her sister walks away. She falls silent for a moment... but in that moment, the door doesn't slam shut like she expected. For, perhaps, the first time in her life, Gamora's hesitance to say what she end sup wishing she'd said in the moment gives her a mulligan, a few more seconds to act. What should she do with it?

    Emotional appeals and begging aren't her thing, and she doubts they'd accomplish anything other than giving Nebula something more to mock her over. The mind races.

    It settles on the first bit of trivia that stirs anything inside of her.

    "... You know..." she says suddenly, "... the day you left, everyone recovered quickly when you were gone. ... But Drax was out of commission for almost a week."

Nebula has posed:
    As conflicted as she's feeling right now, hearing that Drax was out for almost a week because of the drugged gnug leg she left for him does make her smirk just a moment. Or may be it was something else. She doesn't immediately reply, she lets the silence mark her disapproval that the conversation is still going. But after that time has passed she asks, "Why?"

Gamora has posed:
    Gamora can't help but smirk a little herself. "... He liked the meat too much. Every time he woke up, he'd just go back for more. We kept trying to tell him. We watched him in shifts for a little while. But he didn't care. He said it just too good. Eventually we just let him at it."

    Finding herself smiling fondly at the memory, Gamora sighs softly, "... I don't think they spent a second holding a grudge against you."

Nebula has posed:
    A joke?! Nebula gets back up and walks back to the doorway. She scowls at Gamora, though, not quite in the same was as before when she was particular angry. "How about now?" she asks about the grudge and the door to the cockpit snaps shut. It is not, however, locked.