"Have you ever seen a bird? I remember seeing a bird once. Vas and I had just gotten away from the crash and we were just walking when I saw it." She smiled lazily. Tiredly. In her eyes, they weren't walking through a disused hallway, but a beautiful birdhouse. Outside, the sun shined brightly and all was well. It was all in her head, of course, and she knew this, but for a moment she felt peaceful. She felt safe.
"I think it might've been a mourning dove's descendant. It had that pretty black and gray and brown sort of look... But that might've just been that it was below the canopy and it barely got any light. Vas didn't see it, he was too busy with the little clicking rat thing. That thing was cute. What did we end up calling it..? A bulletwood mouse. Oh, and mockery bobcats. They were my favorites."
She giggled briefly, her mouth hanging open as if she was going to continue before seeming to get distracted as the door opened. Her eyes lead her forward slightly, until her head hung back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The look on her face was like she was trying to understand a hard math problem that the answer was right on the tip of her tongue. As she heard her name, she looked to Drakis in confusion, and then smiled a calm, practiced smile at the two, before returning to staring at the ceiling.
After maybe twelve seconds, she lifted up her hand and pointed to an ordinary spot on the ceiling.
"There's one, now, Drakis. I didn't know they could fly." Her eyes flickered to him, and then to Gaelen and the other person. Her face went blank, and she looked to Drakis like he was the crazy one when she’d just been talking about a flying feline. She said nothing more, however, just stared through the pair like she didn’t see them. And she didn’t.
“Ping, ping..” She whispered in a sing-song voice, like a chiming bell, as she received Aelyn’s message. “Hey, Drakis, do you think the Captain likes mockery bobcats, too?”
{The dead don’t deserve friends, Aelyn. But you’re my friend, it says so. Don’t you agree? I don’t want to leave the Stella. I want to help. Do you like cats? I think I’m losing my mind. Once I saw a mourning dove, and now I’m dead. I feel so helpless… Drakis says there’s a Dimensional Lord here. But I don’t see anyone. Do you think he might be crazy, too? Maybe we’re all a little crazy. ~ Love, Rya.}
A beat passed, and there was a long, drawn out sound from Rya. Like she was deflating, but not losing air. Suffocated, but still alive. Dead, but still standing. It wasn’t triumphant or victorious. She was broken, so the sound was, too.
"I think it might've been a mourning dove's descendant. It had that pretty black and gray and brown sort of look... But that might've just been that it was below the canopy and it barely got any light. Vas didn't see it, he was too busy with the little clicking rat thing. That thing was cute. What did we end up calling it..? A bulletwood mouse. Oh, and mockery bobcats. They were my favorites."
She giggled briefly, her mouth hanging open as if she was going to continue before seeming to get distracted as the door opened. Her eyes lead her forward slightly, until her head hung back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The look on her face was like she was trying to understand a hard math problem that the answer was right on the tip of her tongue. As she heard her name, she looked to Drakis in confusion, and then smiled a calm, practiced smile at the two, before returning to staring at the ceiling.
After maybe twelve seconds, she lifted up her hand and pointed to an ordinary spot on the ceiling.
"There's one, now, Drakis. I didn't know they could fly." Her eyes flickered to him, and then to Gaelen and the other person. Her face went blank, and she looked to Drakis like he was the crazy one when she’d just been talking about a flying feline. She said nothing more, however, just stared through the pair like she didn’t see them. And she didn’t.
“Ping, ping..” She whispered in a sing-song voice, like a chiming bell, as she received Aelyn’s message. “Hey, Drakis, do you think the Captain likes mockery bobcats, too?”
{The dead don’t deserve friends, Aelyn. But you’re my friend, it says so. Don’t you agree? I don’t want to leave the Stella. I want to help. Do you like cats? I think I’m losing my mind. Once I saw a mourning dove, and now I’m dead. I feel so helpless… Drakis says there’s a Dimensional Lord here. But I don’t see anyone. Do you think he might be crazy, too? Maybe we’re all a little crazy. ~ Love, Rya.}
A beat passed, and there was a long, drawn out sound from Rya. Like she was deflating, but not losing air. Suffocated, but still alive. Dead, but still standing. It wasn’t triumphant or victorious. She was broken, so the sound was, too.
Rin was about to insist that he walk himself to... wherever, but shooed the irrational thought away. Not only would he probably slow them down (since it was obvious that she would show him the way), but he grudgingly admitted to himself that he would have fallen over from fatigue if set on his feet.
Who knew having two emotional breakdowns in one day could be so exhausting?
Black. He opened his eyes with difficulty, leaving them half-lidded.
The last thing he saw was the Queen brushing his cheek with a vaguely familiar expression...
He drifted off to a weary-induced doze.
Who knew having two emotional breakdowns in one day could be so exhausting?
Black. He opened his eyes with difficulty, leaving them half-lidded.
The last thing he saw was the Queen brushing his cheek with a vaguely familiar expression...
He drifted off to a weary-induced doze.
The hesitation in his words and the way his eyes skirted to her weapon, told Nirix that the man in front of was observant and at least a bit intimidated by her. This was good; he was wary of her skill and would hopefully not try anything for now. As for the near future, who could say?
"I am in no need of a Mercenary," She stated bluntly before realizing how rude that sounded. Quickly, almost apologetically, Nirix added:
“I mean thank you for the notice but I am very capable of handling what may come. I’m sure your sister’s tinkering will not provide a huge problem, at least for me and my companion,” She smiled faintly after that, completely ignoring the question about her name. Though she had nothing to fear with giving out her name, it did hold a reputation to it (Nirix was a famous galaxy wide assassin after all), Nirix wasn’t sure that she should.
This… Wick Silverstone, was foreign to the Eoclu. Though for all she knew, he really could just be friendly and now Nirix was making herself look like a paranoid freak.
Great...She really did need to work on her social skills. Why had she answered the door anyway? Ketin was way better at talking to others than she. Was it that look in his eyes? His silent urge had convinced her that she could go and handle this and now she wasn’t so sure…This was different than meeting a client. Even then, the conversation was minimal and usually, Nirix would only have to listen to her client talk, unless that had a huge ego. She normally stopped listening after that.
“Is there anything else? Do you have any trouble or need help?” She asked with a slightly raised brow, silently pleading that either this interaction would abruptly end or that she could go train to clear her mind.
Both would be nice
"I am in no need of a Mercenary," She stated bluntly before realizing how rude that sounded. Quickly, almost apologetically, Nirix added:
“I mean thank you for the notice but I am very capable of handling what may come. I’m sure your sister’s tinkering will not provide a huge problem, at least for me and my companion,” She smiled faintly after that, completely ignoring the question about her name. Though she had nothing to fear with giving out her name, it did hold a reputation to it (Nirix was a famous galaxy wide assassin after all), Nirix wasn’t sure that she should.
This… Wick Silverstone, was foreign to the Eoclu. Though for all she knew, he really could just be friendly and now Nirix was making herself look like a paranoid freak.
Great...She really did need to work on her social skills. Why had she answered the door anyway? Ketin was way better at talking to others than she. Was it that look in his eyes? His silent urge had convinced her that she could go and handle this and now she wasn’t so sure…This was different than meeting a client. Even then, the conversation was minimal and usually, Nirix would only have to listen to her client talk, unless that had a huge ego. She normally stopped listening after that.
“Is there anything else? Do you have any trouble or need help?” She asked with a slightly raised brow, silently pleading that either this interaction would abruptly end or that she could go train to clear her mind.
Both would be nice
"To win and end it, Yascra" he says with a smile on his face and then he listens to the other man's philosophical talk. In Caru's opinion it was a very grim way to look at things, it was as close as seeing things in a Hobbiesan or Carl Schmitt way of thinking, in that humanity are monsters and in a more Schmitt way, saying that fighting is inevitable. "Yes, but that book did end a war and united a nation together for a very long time and never broke up as it did again so it did solve the war issue" he says to him as he looks him with his stupid cute smile on his face. "Call me an idealist, but friendship ca exist without hate" he states as he raises his hands behind his head. "But that's what we lords are...idealists as we ignore human philosophies in pursuit of our own goals even out landish as they maybe but that's why they are other lords to keep lords in check, my tall Carl Schmitt friend" he explains not really in the mood for philosophy since it kinda hurts his head a bit.
He wasn't really paying attention to where they were going and once they stepped inside and saw how Yascra's face changed after seeing Darkis and Rya enter. "I am your friend" he corrects Yascra as he gives him a friendly poke at his side and greets himself "I am Lord Caru Llywellyn, the Dimensional Lord of Love, friendship and compassion! Its a pleasure to meet you both!" as his face lights up in a joyful smile towards the two. "As Yascra was trying to say I came here via a rift that opened up since a long long time ago I was tossed into the void...a unknown region in which separates realms from each other and I guess the void found a thin spot and spit me out" he explains joyfully as he gets closer to Darkis and tries to see into his goggles to see his eyes.
Rya was a little concern and nor did he have to talk to her...she seemed really off, but Caru couldn't figure out why. He planned to see what happens next to her and possibly have his aura of friendship and kindness win her over and make her feel a bit better if he could anyway.
He wasn't really paying attention to where they were going and once they stepped inside and saw how Yascra's face changed after seeing Darkis and Rya enter. "I am your friend" he corrects Yascra as he gives him a friendly poke at his side and greets himself "I am Lord Caru Llywellyn, the Dimensional Lord of Love, friendship and compassion! Its a pleasure to meet you both!" as his face lights up in a joyful smile towards the two. "As Yascra was trying to say I came here via a rift that opened up since a long long time ago I was tossed into the void...a unknown region in which separates realms from each other and I guess the void found a thin spot and spit me out" he explains joyfully as he gets closer to Darkis and tries to see into his goggles to see his eyes.
Rya was a little concern and nor did he have to talk to her...she seemed really off, but Caru couldn't figure out why. He planned to see what happens next to her and possibly have his aura of friendship and kindness win her over and make her feel a bit better if he could anyway.
Cathorine notice that Rin basically fell asleep in her arms. "Poor boy...might as well wash you up then" she states as she walks into the bathroom and begins to clean Rin up in the bathtube even as he sleeps. Once she was all done and finish cleaning up her little boy, she dressed him into in a royal blue robe that was a bit too big for him. She then puts him on the bed and tucks him in as he slept, now with bandages on his face to cover up some of the scratches. A conscript enters the room and hands him his bodysuit and says "Get this thing clean for me" the Conscript merely nodded and took it away it to be cleaned.
With the pieces of armor, she picked them all up and put them on a manniqen. Once placing the last piece on, she smiles at it and then looks back at the sleeping Rin and smiles before she left the boy alone to rest. When Rin would get up, he notice that Laurent tucked himself underneath the covers and rested himself up against Rin's side giving him warmth as he sleeps and occasionally purring as he slept as well.
With the pieces of armor, she picked them all up and put them on a manniqen. Once placing the last piece on, she smiles at it and then looks back at the sleeping Rin and smiles before she left the boy alone to rest. When Rin would get up, he notice that Laurent tucked himself underneath the covers and rested himself up against Rin's side giving him warmth as he sleeps and occasionally purring as he slept as well.
Wick shook his head no, beginning to get a sense of awkwardness about their conversation. There really wasn't anything to say anyway, especially since it was clear they weren't looking to hire any muscle.
Though I'd imagine if she's got that sword she's all the protection they need. Wick thought as hementally sized up the eoclu woman. She looked capable enough, and in his experience he HAD met other smaller than he who landed him flat on his ass. Yes, he'd be careful not to get on her bad side during this trip.
"Nah, I think that's it. Have a nice trip." he gave another wave before walking back to his and Alice's room. He'd probably sleep (or sleep as much one could with someone else tinkering in the same room) for a while before looking for some kind of gym on the ship.
Though I'd imagine if she's got that sword she's all the protection they need. Wick thought as hementally sized up the eoclu woman. She looked capable enough, and in his experience he HAD met other smaller than he who landed him flat on his ass. Yes, he'd be careful not to get on her bad side during this trip.
"Nah, I think that's it. Have a nice trip." he gave another wave before walking back to his and Alice's room. He'd probably sleep (or sleep as much one could with someone else tinkering in the same room) for a while before looking for some kind of gym on the ship.
Rin squinted, looking up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Deja vu, he thought- then looked down at the feeling of... Movement?
... Oh.
The cat shifted, then settled again. It- Montagne purred, still asleep.
Carefully, he made his way out of the bed, trying to make as little noise as possible, and somehow managed to not jostle the cat too much. He pulled the (slightly large) robe around him, looking for- ah, there. He picked up the neatly folded bodysuit- it looked like it was just cleaned- and looked around for-
There.
He stepped into the bathroom, dropping the robe and slipping on his suit as fast as he could. It eas only until the clothing was secured that he sighed in relief, forcing his shoulders to relax. Frowning slightly, he poked at a bandage on his forehead. He then proceeded to peel off each and every bandage, touching each scratch and cut to make sure it wasn't bleeding.
He looked at a nearby mirror. He looked more like himself.
Stepping out of the bathroom, he caught sight of his dagger that seemed to placed right in the middle of the bedside table. He took it and, seeing no trace of blood, attached it to his hip- just in case.
He stared at his armor for a moment, considering. Should I wear it? he wondered, then grimaced a bit at the dried blood. Maybe later- I can still wear the shoes... he stooped down, taking them and holding them up to eye-level. He lowered it and-
Hm? Something black-
His gaze rested on a black hair tie, one of several, as well as other hair accessories. He quickly put on his shoes, and went over to the other table and picked up a hairtie.
If he found a training ground, he could use it... Nodding to himself, he placed it on his wrist and looked around one last time.
He'd only be gone for a few...
He opened the door, peering around him as he closed it quietly behind him. Not a lot of people around, and most of them didn't seem to mind his presence. As he started walking he felt the gaze of some burning at his back, but he did his best to ignore it. After all, they weren't trying to approach him, so...
It took several turns and a few more minutes of aimless walking before he found an empty room. There were several weapons on the walls, and no furniture, so... Training ground?
Well, no one was here, so... Screw it. He closed the door behind him, not bothering to lock it- he didn't even know if there was a locking mechanism, anyway- and walked to the middle of the room. He let out a thoughtful huff, then looked down on the floor.
It looked like ice.
His mother wasn't too fond of snow, like him. Too cold, she'd say, she handled heat better. But she'd bear the cold, she always added, if it meant being with her lover again.
She would watch her videos at least once a day, smiling sadly and blowing a small kiss. "And good morning to you, love," she would whisper, when she thought no one was looking.
"What happened to other mami?" he remembered asking at one point. She always said that he had two mothers, but that other mami never met him.
She had lowered her eyes then, a sorrowful expression stealing over her. "She died quite a while ago, child." She stilled, then took out her handheld device. "I will let you see her. She looks a lot like you."
She did. She looked beautiful in every picture, sometimes wearing strange plain clothes, and others strange but colorful costumes. And on the ice...
It was her element. She glided effortlessly across, told stories with her graceful motions, made people feel with her powerful jumps.
Beautiful.
He remembered thinking, I want to be like that.
He remembered learning the stretches his other mami would do- and his mother joining him.
He remembered committing to memory every movement she made on the ice, practicing what he could out on the desert sand, after his fighting sessions with mother.
He remembered the first thing he begged his Commander to do when he first recieved the plasma skates- to catch him as he fell, trying his mami's jumps.
He remembered the look of utter shock, grief, and love on his mother's face as he completed his other mami's favorite routine on the training ground back at base. It wasn't perfect- the triple and quad jumps were replaced with singles, and a double jump- but his step sequence was almost as good, and she was so proud. The best birthday present, she had said.
He exhaled, then activated his skates to their lowest setting, the skate blades becoming more metal then plasma. He tied his hair back into a small ponytail, biting his lip nervously.
He crossed his right leg behind him, his hands on the sides becoming upturned so his palms were upright, and bowed his head.
He memorized the music for his mami's routine already.
He could skate this.
He felt himself move to the music in his mind, sweeping his arms up in a steady movement, then turning in a tight circle, leaning a bit forward as he spun again. He let the music flow through his body, performing steps and gestures from muscle memory, trying to pour all of his emotions into the movements his mami had choreographed just for the music. With every beat he made a dramatic sweep, a bold motion- forcing the onlooker to feel the sentiment, the power, the grace, while appreciating the beauty of the art. He twisted and turned, unseeing and unaware of everything but the melody in his heart that he was expressing through his body.
He glided across the ice, opening his eyes- since when did he close them?- before making a waltz jump. Easy, he thought, making two more in succession. He readied himself, then jumped in the air, rotating once- single loop- another waltz- single flip. Good.
Next round of jumps. Waltz- single axel! Good thing he could still do that, though landing a little wobbly- another waltz jump. He did a little spin and dance sequence, thinking for a split second-
I want to try it-
Then jumped for a double salchow.
Whoops! his leg slid more to the side than he wanted, and his forearm brushed the ice as he just barely managed to keep himself from really falling on the floor. Damn.
He lifted his leg, holding it up for a few, then moved his arms out, as if reaching for something unreachable. He then did more of the step sequence before spinning in place, going from a camel spin to a sit spin with an arm raised high in the air. He then rose from the position like a flower, throwing out his arms as he performed the last steps and-
He held the pose, breathing heavily, staring at the ceiling, an arm outstretched above him as the other rested over his heart. He forced his tired legs to hold their position a little longer, left leg crossed behind the right. Then he closed his eyes, dropping his pose, plopping heavily on the floor, sitting in the middle of the room.
He was more relaxed now. Doing his mami's routine always helped.
Deja vu, he thought- then looked down at the feeling of... Movement?
... Oh.
The cat shifted, then settled again. It- Montagne purred, still asleep.
Carefully, he made his way out of the bed, trying to make as little noise as possible, and somehow managed to not jostle the cat too much. He pulled the (slightly large) robe around him, looking for- ah, there. He picked up the neatly folded bodysuit- it looked like it was just cleaned- and looked around for-
There.
He stepped into the bathroom, dropping the robe and slipping on his suit as fast as he could. It eas only until the clothing was secured that he sighed in relief, forcing his shoulders to relax. Frowning slightly, he poked at a bandage on his forehead. He then proceeded to peel off each and every bandage, touching each scratch and cut to make sure it wasn't bleeding.
He looked at a nearby mirror. He looked more like himself.
Stepping out of the bathroom, he caught sight of his dagger that seemed to placed right in the middle of the bedside table. He took it and, seeing no trace of blood, attached it to his hip- just in case.
He stared at his armor for a moment, considering. Should I wear it? he wondered, then grimaced a bit at the dried blood. Maybe later- I can still wear the shoes... he stooped down, taking them and holding them up to eye-level. He lowered it and-
Hm? Something black-
His gaze rested on a black hair tie, one of several, as well as other hair accessories. He quickly put on his shoes, and went over to the other table and picked up a hairtie.
If he found a training ground, he could use it... Nodding to himself, he placed it on his wrist and looked around one last time.
He'd only be gone for a few...
He opened the door, peering around him as he closed it quietly behind him. Not a lot of people around, and most of them didn't seem to mind his presence. As he started walking he felt the gaze of some burning at his back, but he did his best to ignore it. After all, they weren't trying to approach him, so...
It took several turns and a few more minutes of aimless walking before he found an empty room. There were several weapons on the walls, and no furniture, so... Training ground?
Well, no one was here, so... Screw it. He closed the door behind him, not bothering to lock it- he didn't even know if there was a locking mechanism, anyway- and walked to the middle of the room. He let out a thoughtful huff, then looked down on the floor.
It looked like ice.
His mother wasn't too fond of snow, like him. Too cold, she'd say, she handled heat better. But she'd bear the cold, she always added, if it meant being with her lover again.
She would watch her videos at least once a day, smiling sadly and blowing a small kiss. "And good morning to you, love," she would whisper, when she thought no one was looking.
"What happened to other mami?" he remembered asking at one point. She always said that he had two mothers, but that other mami never met him.
She had lowered her eyes then, a sorrowful expression stealing over her. "She died quite a while ago, child." She stilled, then took out her handheld device. "I will let you see her. She looks a lot like you."
She did. She looked beautiful in every picture, sometimes wearing strange plain clothes, and others strange but colorful costumes. And on the ice...
It was her element. She glided effortlessly across, told stories with her graceful motions, made people feel with her powerful jumps.
Beautiful.
He remembered thinking, I want to be like that.
He remembered learning the stretches his other mami would do- and his mother joining him.
He remembered committing to memory every movement she made on the ice, practicing what he could out on the desert sand, after his fighting sessions with mother.
He remembered the first thing he begged his Commander to do when he first recieved the plasma skates- to catch him as he fell, trying his mami's jumps.
He remembered the look of utter shock, grief, and love on his mother's face as he completed his other mami's favorite routine on the training ground back at base. It wasn't perfect- the triple and quad jumps were replaced with singles, and a double jump- but his step sequence was almost as good, and she was so proud. The best birthday present, she had said.
He exhaled, then activated his skates to their lowest setting, the skate blades becoming more metal then plasma. He tied his hair back into a small ponytail, biting his lip nervously.
He crossed his right leg behind him, his hands on the sides becoming upturned so his palms were upright, and bowed his head.
He memorized the music for his mami's routine already.
He could skate this.
He felt himself move to the music in his mind, sweeping his arms up in a steady movement, then turning in a tight circle, leaning a bit forward as he spun again. He let the music flow through his body, performing steps and gestures from muscle memory, trying to pour all of his emotions into the movements his mami had choreographed just for the music. With every beat he made a dramatic sweep, a bold motion- forcing the onlooker to feel the sentiment, the power, the grace, while appreciating the beauty of the art. He twisted and turned, unseeing and unaware of everything but the melody in his heart that he was expressing through his body.
He glided across the ice, opening his eyes- since when did he close them?- before making a waltz jump. Easy, he thought, making two more in succession. He readied himself, then jumped in the air, rotating once- single loop- another waltz- single flip. Good.
Next round of jumps. Waltz- single axel! Good thing he could still do that, though landing a little wobbly- another waltz jump. He did a little spin and dance sequence, thinking for a split second-
I want to try it-
Then jumped for a double salchow.
Whoops! his leg slid more to the side than he wanted, and his forearm brushed the ice as he just barely managed to keep himself from really falling on the floor. Damn.
He lifted his leg, holding it up for a few, then moved his arms out, as if reaching for something unreachable. He then did more of the step sequence before spinning in place, going from a camel spin to a sit spin with an arm raised high in the air. He then rose from the position like a flower, throwing out his arms as he performed the last steps and-
He held the pose, breathing heavily, staring at the ceiling, an arm outstretched above him as the other rested over his heart. He forced his tired legs to hold their position a little longer, left leg crossed behind the right. Then he closed his eyes, dropping his pose, plopping heavily on the floor, sitting in the middle of the room.
He was more relaxed now. Doing his mami's routine always helped.
H M S Skadi
The silence of that wide, open chamber, like some great, lost arctic cave - was airy and inviting, tantalizing in the sensation of openness and calm that it provided. It was solitude, one wide room amidst a gigantic machine which bustled with life as it hurtled through the blackness of Space. This peaceful sanctuary where one young man - barely a man - could have some respite from the chaos his life had been plunged into, the loneliness that he was now immersed in, the hopelessness that seemed to hang over his head and around his neck like a smothering noose.
But here, where he could set himself loose and free from the watchful eyes of others, perhaps he could earn a moment of peace during which to contemplate, to come to terms - alone, but in a good way. Right?
But the silence was a light one, not the oppressive, stifling silence of a smaller room - so when the sound of applause began to creep from far off at one end, it was not so startling as a gunshot - more like a distant ocean wave, or the pattering of fat rain on an aluminum roof. In proper form, it started with one pair of hands, then rapidly rose to four - someone even gave a whoop and a whistle through their fingers.
Had they been watching the whole time? Why hadn't he seen them?
But there they were - four of them - all smiling, looking thoroughly impressed with the performance they had just witnessed. One of them started toward Rin, and the others followed along in easy suit.
The four were dressed identically, in arctic-camouflage panchos, beneath which were icy blue shirts and white cargo fatigues, with matching boots. Each held at ease some type of weapon, but clearly they were not intending on using them any time soon, for they hung there with the easy familiarity of soldiers who, out of habit, simply never put their weapons out of reach.
The man at the head of the little group was, to put it bluntly, positively gorgeous. Elegant, sharply imperious, oriental features, with high cheekbones and narrow almond eyes that practically glowed with shocking emerald irises. His skin was rich and dark, a tone suggesting images of hot, humid island jungles and long summer twilights. Head exquisitely hairless save for intense black brows and a silky black 'rat-tail' hanging from the back of his head - though on him it looked more along the lines of an ancient warrior's hairstyle than anything punkish. Thin lips smiled warmly as he approached, with an all-purpose, mid-range rifle of some kind slung over his shoulder. The clip glowed faintly with sophisticated-looking technology, including tiny LED readouts that implied the weapon did more than fire bullets - but one could hardly pay attention to that when his piercing gaze was set so steadily on them.
There was another man who looked to be from the same place as the first, though it was very likely they were at all related. Similar in tone and complexion, though the man with high-cropped black hair and the gaunter face lacked much of the dashing good looks of his counterpart. His eyes though were equally bright, a startling blue that just barely peered out from a permanent squint. His smile was a clever grin that suggested he was always thinking of something hilarious or snarky - a sidearm was holstered at his belt.
There was a woman with them - the smallest of the group, but curvy and well-built beneath the poncho. Her skin was a deep, rich ebony and eyes of flecked amber. Clearly-dyed blue hair tufted out from a half-shaved head, falling down one side, and down the back. Slung behind her was a long, powerful looking sniper rifle, though most of the glowing blue bits were obscured at present.
And then there was the one who looked most out of place among them - a hulking mass of muscle with light Caucasian skin and sandy blonde hair. Big, friendly brown eyes accompanied a squared jaw and contented smile. He towered over the others and probably could have carried all three with relatively minimal effort. His weapon was contained within some kind of black case slung over his shoulder, it could have been anything, but the bulk suggested some means of explosive or demolition.
"That was, a beautiful performance, my friend." the oriental man at the front said, once they were nearer. His voice was vaguely calculated, with a noticeably choppy accent that, if anyone knew what 'Chinese' was, would have been comparable to that. "I don't think I've seen anything like it. Quite a superb skill you have - amazing how you managed to imply so much emotion into the movements. Reminds me of the ka-cuni dancers back home. Very powerful."
"I, hope we didn't startle you." The huge blonde man said - his voice was surprisingly unremarkable. He seemed earnest - as did they all. (Though, that was not to say that Rin wouldn't be very capable of taking this all quite the wrong way) "Since I think I know what you're thinking - you don't have to worry about your senses being dull. All it means is that our new cloaking devices exceed expectations." He laughed a little.
The woman spoke up next - her voice was resonant and had a hard, attractive rasp to it. "We weren't spyin' on you or nothin' either - we'd just come in here to test them out. Actually we were all just standing around real still-like and trying to spot one another." Realizing the absurdity of this, she too gave a light little laugh.
The fourth, with his jokerish looks that might have been a caricature of himself, said nothing initially - he just smiled wider, and held something up between two fingers. It was a little tuft of black hair that looked as though it had been cleanly sliced off. It was hard to place where exactly on his head it had come from, but clearly that was the source. It was obvious by the man's expression however that he found this to be absolutely hilarious. "I don't know exactly how this happened. It was all very confusing. All I know now is that I want a pair of those-" he nodded toward Rin's feet, and his grin widened. His voice was much rougher than the smooth intonation of his oriental counterpart, though the accent was much lighter. One had the feeling that no matter what he said, he always sounded as though there were going to be a punchline at the end. "Though I would probably kill myself in a matter of minutes!"
So, they seemed friendly enough...
The silence of that wide, open chamber, like some great, lost arctic cave - was airy and inviting, tantalizing in the sensation of openness and calm that it provided. It was solitude, one wide room amidst a gigantic machine which bustled with life as it hurtled through the blackness of Space. This peaceful sanctuary where one young man - barely a man - could have some respite from the chaos his life had been plunged into, the loneliness that he was now immersed in, the hopelessness that seemed to hang over his head and around his neck like a smothering noose.
But here, where he could set himself loose and free from the watchful eyes of others, perhaps he could earn a moment of peace during which to contemplate, to come to terms - alone, but in a good way. Right?
But the silence was a light one, not the oppressive, stifling silence of a smaller room - so when the sound of applause began to creep from far off at one end, it was not so startling as a gunshot - more like a distant ocean wave, or the pattering of fat rain on an aluminum roof. In proper form, it started with one pair of hands, then rapidly rose to four - someone even gave a whoop and a whistle through their fingers.
Had they been watching the whole time? Why hadn't he seen them?
But there they were - four of them - all smiling, looking thoroughly impressed with the performance they had just witnessed. One of them started toward Rin, and the others followed along in easy suit.
The four were dressed identically, in arctic-camouflage panchos, beneath which were icy blue shirts and white cargo fatigues, with matching boots. Each held at ease some type of weapon, but clearly they were not intending on using them any time soon, for they hung there with the easy familiarity of soldiers who, out of habit, simply never put their weapons out of reach.
The man at the head of the little group was, to put it bluntly, positively gorgeous. Elegant, sharply imperious, oriental features, with high cheekbones and narrow almond eyes that practically glowed with shocking emerald irises. His skin was rich and dark, a tone suggesting images of hot, humid island jungles and long summer twilights. Head exquisitely hairless save for intense black brows and a silky black 'rat-tail' hanging from the back of his head - though on him it looked more along the lines of an ancient warrior's hairstyle than anything punkish. Thin lips smiled warmly as he approached, with an all-purpose, mid-range rifle of some kind slung over his shoulder. The clip glowed faintly with sophisticated-looking technology, including tiny LED readouts that implied the weapon did more than fire bullets - but one could hardly pay attention to that when his piercing gaze was set so steadily on them.
There was another man who looked to be from the same place as the first, though it was very likely they were at all related. Similar in tone and complexion, though the man with high-cropped black hair and the gaunter face lacked much of the dashing good looks of his counterpart. His eyes though were equally bright, a startling blue that just barely peered out from a permanent squint. His smile was a clever grin that suggested he was always thinking of something hilarious or snarky - a sidearm was holstered at his belt.
There was a woman with them - the smallest of the group, but curvy and well-built beneath the poncho. Her skin was a deep, rich ebony and eyes of flecked amber. Clearly-dyed blue hair tufted out from a half-shaved head, falling down one side, and down the back. Slung behind her was a long, powerful looking sniper rifle, though most of the glowing blue bits were obscured at present.
And then there was the one who looked most out of place among them - a hulking mass of muscle with light Caucasian skin and sandy blonde hair. Big, friendly brown eyes accompanied a squared jaw and contented smile. He towered over the others and probably could have carried all three with relatively minimal effort. His weapon was contained within some kind of black case slung over his shoulder, it could have been anything, but the bulk suggested some means of explosive or demolition.
"That was, a beautiful performance, my friend." the oriental man at the front said, once they were nearer. His voice was vaguely calculated, with a noticeably choppy accent that, if anyone knew what 'Chinese' was, would have been comparable to that. "I don't think I've seen anything like it. Quite a superb skill you have - amazing how you managed to imply so much emotion into the movements. Reminds me of the ka-cuni dancers back home. Very powerful."
"I, hope we didn't startle you." The huge blonde man said - his voice was surprisingly unremarkable. He seemed earnest - as did they all. (Though, that was not to say that Rin wouldn't be very capable of taking this all quite the wrong way) "Since I think I know what you're thinking - you don't have to worry about your senses being dull. All it means is that our new cloaking devices exceed expectations." He laughed a little.
The woman spoke up next - her voice was resonant and had a hard, attractive rasp to it. "We weren't spyin' on you or nothin' either - we'd just come in here to test them out. Actually we were all just standing around real still-like and trying to spot one another." Realizing the absurdity of this, she too gave a light little laugh.
The fourth, with his jokerish looks that might have been a caricature of himself, said nothing initially - he just smiled wider, and held something up between two fingers. It was a little tuft of black hair that looked as though it had been cleanly sliced off. It was hard to place where exactly on his head it had come from, but clearly that was the source. It was obvious by the man's expression however that he found this to be absolutely hilarious. "I don't know exactly how this happened. It was all very confusing. All I know now is that I want a pair of those-" he nodded toward Rin's feet, and his grin widened. His voice was much rougher than the smooth intonation of his oriental counterpart, though the accent was much lighter. One had the feeling that no matter what he said, he always sounded as though there were going to be a punchline at the end. "Though I would probably kill myself in a matter of minutes!"
So, they seemed friendly enough...
Rin scrambled to his feet (thankfully not falling over- he still hadn't deactivated the blades), eyes wide and face turning red and- oh god. No. NO.
Hewastoogayforthis$#!%-
"I-I, uh-" he could feel the heat emanating from cheeks in waves. Why did he have to tie his hair back? Where was Commander Wyr when he needed her?! "My m-mami could do it better. She's, I mean," he bit his lip.
She passed away a long time ago.
Right. "She did harder jumps. I flubbed the salchow- ah, the jump with two rotations? She did one with four rotations, and several with three rotations too, triples and quads and I-I'm rambling sorry," he brought his hands together and bowed hurriedly. "I didn't mean to intrude in, in whatever you were doing, it must be very good technology I didn't even sense it, it must be really important-"
He was rambling again. Oh my gods.
This was why he never relaxed- he became a blabbermouth. And this was also why he never liked being alone in social situations- if he was flustered, he could always get Vaxur and Wyr to talk instead.
The two of these combined?
Just.
No.
"Sorry again," he burst out, bowing one more time and fidgeting anxiously. "I-I can leave, it's not a problem-"
Hewastoogayforthis$#!%-
"I-I, uh-" he could feel the heat emanating from cheeks in waves. Why did he have to tie his hair back? Where was Commander Wyr when he needed her?! "My m-mami could do it better. She's, I mean," he bit his lip.
She passed away a long time ago.
Right. "She did harder jumps. I flubbed the salchow- ah, the jump with two rotations? She did one with four rotations, and several with three rotations too, triples and quads and I-I'm rambling sorry," he brought his hands together and bowed hurriedly. "I didn't mean to intrude in, in whatever you were doing, it must be very good technology I didn't even sense it, it must be really important-"
He was rambling again. Oh my gods.
This was why he never relaxed- he became a blabbermouth. And this was also why he never liked being alone in social situations- if he was flustered, he could always get Vaxur and Wyr to talk instead.
The two of these combined?
Just.
No.
"Sorry again," he burst out, bowing one more time and fidgeting anxiously. "I-I can leave, it's not a problem-"
Though out the Galaxy
Throughout the galaxy over almost every outlet, programming or device that transmits anything, this song was transmitted throughout the galaxy, realms and parallels of reality. No one knows where this song came from or who sent it. But with its beautiful tone and majestic voice, everyone stopped fighting, the wars paused as everyone heard the little song for saying goodbye to someone as it played. To some it brought tears, to others nothing but they paused to hear its elegance expecting a message from it. But as the two minute song went and ended...nothing could be heard and everything was back to normal. But for that brief moment in time and Not time the entire galaxy was united to listen for that two minute music piece of excellent quality.
Of course this would be as great as the signal that went through the galaxy before however unlike that signal which disturbed life, the song did not such thing but entice the ear or orvice to listen to it. No one knows who it was for or why. But one individual knew...Lord Kampfer, he heard the song he paused for a moment and realized what it was and facial expression changed as he lost all color in his face. He understood what that song meant and it needed is immediate attention...so he went back to his realm leaving Emperor Arthur in charge because of this little song...
Throughout the galaxy over almost every outlet, programming or device that transmits anything, this song was transmitted throughout the galaxy, realms and parallels of reality. No one knows where this song came from or who sent it. But with its beautiful tone and majestic voice, everyone stopped fighting, the wars paused as everyone heard the little song for saying goodbye to someone as it played. To some it brought tears, to others nothing but they paused to hear its elegance expecting a message from it. But as the two minute song went and ended...nothing could be heard and everything was back to normal. But for that brief moment in time and Not time the entire galaxy was united to listen for that two minute music piece of excellent quality.
Of course this would be as great as the signal that went through the galaxy before however unlike that signal which disturbed life, the song did not such thing but entice the ear or orvice to listen to it. No one knows who it was for or why. But one individual knew...Lord Kampfer, he heard the song he paused for a moment and realized what it was and facial expression changed as he lost all color in his face. He understood what that song meant and it needed is immediate attention...so he went back to his realm leaving Emperor Arthur in charge because of this little song...
While the handsome fellow in the lead of the group seemed not at all to notice the young intergalactic traveler's awkward rambling at all, the woman was biting her lip and making a visibly desperate attempt to keep from laughing. The big guy gave her a subtle poke to the shoulder to say 'shut up, you' - but he should have known by now that it would only pop the bubble.
She burst into hearty laughter, shaking her head as though someone had just claimed that they truly believed Space was yellow. "Come on kid, you literally interrupted us standing and doing nothing. It's not like it's some secret government experiment or some @#$%, so relax, would 'ya?" She was talking through the laughter, though it had died down by the end. The big guy and the other oriental guy sort of shrugged their assent to this, but the guy at the head gave the woman only a brief glance, otherwise keeping all his attention on Rin.
And he must have had some kind of special gift - because he picked up right where the 'kid' had left off some moments prior, speaking in a casual, conversational tone and coming off as generally interested in what he'd been saying.
"Four rotations in a jump like that? It must take an incredible stamina to get that sort of momentum in the spin - she must have been an incredible woman. It's good to see you keep her with you like that." He must have assumed given the way he had spoken of her, that she was no more. Or maybe he was already aware of how far this youth was from his family? Or perhaps both. He seemed remarkably in-control of things, at least at present, with so little to go off. "Back in Hi'tzen we had the ka-cuni dancers I mentioned - I think you would enjoy it. It is the same premise as what you were doing, but there is a large pool of still water instead of ice - and the dancers leap around on these little floating pads - it's quite a sight to behold."
He was so incredibly laid-back, to be holding this sort of conversation at a time like this.
There was a small electronic sound, and the big guy gave a slight jump, hastily reaching to the little communicator under his arctic-camo poncho and turning it off before the strange song could play. The others had turned theirs off in case the sound might compromise their cloaks. It might have been heard in the hallways and otherwise throughout the ship, but this room had been cut off from the main broadcasting systems as a means of retaining focus during training or meditation.
Once Rin had had a chance to respond, the other oriental guy spoke up, still considering the tuft of severed hair. "You use those skate things in combat, right? Ever tried using them as weapons? Like kickboxing I mean. Must be a pretty special stuff they're made of to be that sharp without @#$%ing up the floor. You could ruin a guy with those things if you kicked him right." He tossed the hair behind him, and it scattered in the room's ambient, still air - he still did not seem at all bothered by the matter.
She burst into hearty laughter, shaking her head as though someone had just claimed that they truly believed Space was yellow. "Come on kid, you literally interrupted us standing and doing nothing. It's not like it's some secret government experiment or some @#$%, so relax, would 'ya?" She was talking through the laughter, though it had died down by the end. The big guy and the other oriental guy sort of shrugged their assent to this, but the guy at the head gave the woman only a brief glance, otherwise keeping all his attention on Rin.
And he must have had some kind of special gift - because he picked up right where the 'kid' had left off some moments prior, speaking in a casual, conversational tone and coming off as generally interested in what he'd been saying.
"Four rotations in a jump like that? It must take an incredible stamina to get that sort of momentum in the spin - she must have been an incredible woman. It's good to see you keep her with you like that." He must have assumed given the way he had spoken of her, that she was no more. Or maybe he was already aware of how far this youth was from his family? Or perhaps both. He seemed remarkably in-control of things, at least at present, with so little to go off. "Back in Hi'tzen we had the ka-cuni dancers I mentioned - I think you would enjoy it. It is the same premise as what you were doing, but there is a large pool of still water instead of ice - and the dancers leap around on these little floating pads - it's quite a sight to behold."
He was so incredibly laid-back, to be holding this sort of conversation at a time like this.
There was a small electronic sound, and the big guy gave a slight jump, hastily reaching to the little communicator under his arctic-camo poncho and turning it off before the strange song could play. The others had turned theirs off in case the sound might compromise their cloaks. It might have been heard in the hallways and otherwise throughout the ship, but this room had been cut off from the main broadcasting systems as a means of retaining focus during training or meditation.
Once Rin had had a chance to respond, the other oriental guy spoke up, still considering the tuft of severed hair. "You use those skate things in combat, right? Ever tried using them as weapons? Like kickboxing I mean. Must be a pretty special stuff they're made of to be that sharp without @#$%ing up the floor. You could ruin a guy with those things if you kicked him right." He tossed the hair behind him, and it scattered in the room's ambient, still air - he still did not seem at all bothered by the matter.
Q
The comforting words of Kilwen resonated with her.
"Alright." Q said after what seemed to be a million years. "I'll do it. It would be better to travel with somebody than to travel alone..."
Or worse, become scrap metal for one of Kampfer's freakish limbs. Even when he exited the room, she still felt his presence looming over him.
Ominous.
The ship was, indeed ready for departure. No sooner had they stepped aboard than the doors had sealed and the ship was being cleared for leaving the Kampferian base.
A memory of a similar base crossed her mind. Kampfer's base might be elegant and threatening, but it was nothing like an Iridiite base. Maybe she was just biased... but she definitely was homesick. It had been millions of years since her sister had separated her from her creators.
Inside the somewhat-unwelcoming Kampferian ship, Q settled down in a corner and pensively went into sleep mode for a few minutes.
No outside distractions, no interruptions.
It was just her and her own thoughts.
This is nuts... what have I gotten myself into? I should have stayed back on that planet where I was lost. I wouldn't be out here, I wouldn't be so scared...
She ran a quick probability estimate through her system. To her disappointment, it worked like a charm, showing her the probabilities of various forms of certain death. Why did she always do this to herself? Was there some comfort in knowing she had a 50-50 chance of certain death and continued life?
Probability check.
[You are fifteen times more likely to be struck by a meteor than be found by Z in this galaxy.]
Probability check.
[You are twenty-seven times more likely to suffer engine failure in space than be found by Z in this galaxy]
Probability check.
[You are...]
The last result didn't pass completely through Q's mind. Oddly enough, even in sleep mode, there was a disturbance that was able to get to her.
A song.
A quiet, serene, almost haunting melody.
It ran for two minutes, and Q studied every second of it.
Eventually, the end note faded on the vocal tremolo, dissipating into silence as it had begun.
She sat there in her own thoughts again.
The beautiful song seemed to echo in her coding and thoughts. It gave her a renowned calmness that seemed to sweep through her circuits. Stepping out of sleep mode, Q rose to her feet.
"I can do this." She said to herself.
"La mia bambina cara..."
???
Cold.
She had felt nothing but cold ever since she was born.
She especially felt it now, here in this chamber. The great machine had stopped. It's heat had vanished into space.
It focused it's energy on something other than moving at this moment. There was no need to expend power, despite it's power being limitless. For now, she sat unable to do anything other than plan and reflect.
Rest was welcomed every now and again, but when she rested, she felt like herself.
And that was terrible. She didn't know what she even was when she was herself.
She preferred to be coursing through the great machine... The machine that was her home. The machine that was her.
Not this shameless form. Not this shameless being. She silently ached as she could not do anything.
She could not move the machine anywhere.
The last signals the machine had sent out were meaningless at best, and not only was she now out of range to send signals, she couldn't receive any in this state.
She couldn't even look into space to entertain her vision. The innermost chamber of her confinement had no windows. It could drive a person to claustrophobia.
So she sat as the machine's energy bled to anywhere other than where she was. Sat and did nothing.
Perhaps she was dreaming, or the stress of confinement had finally gotten to her... but she swore that... in her impenetrable fortress of a chamber... there was a song.
She listened closely, doing her best to discern whether it was real or another twisted issue with her creation.
No. It was real. A song that broadcasted through the cosmos. Had the great machine been active, she would have probably been able to force it out, too.
But it ripped through the silence of her own chamber and outer space. A digital opera of mysterious origin.
She could instantly translate the lyrics as the silence was disturbed.
They meant little to her, but the sound was nice. It took her back a bit. Was it a song she had heard before?
Forget it. Focus. The great machine will be ready soon.
You will soon have all the time you need to think about a stupid song.
<21141114152314>
200805 02 13010308091405 20080120 1405220518 1920151619
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The comforting words of Kilwen resonated with her.
"Alright." Q said after what seemed to be a million years. "I'll do it. It would be better to travel with somebody than to travel alone..."
Or worse, become scrap metal for one of Kampfer's freakish limbs. Even when he exited the room, she still felt his presence looming over him.
Ominous.
The ship was, indeed ready for departure. No sooner had they stepped aboard than the doors had sealed and the ship was being cleared for leaving the Kampferian base.
A memory of a similar base crossed her mind. Kampfer's base might be elegant and threatening, but it was nothing like an Iridiite base. Maybe she was just biased... but she definitely was homesick. It had been millions of years since her sister had separated her from her creators.
Inside the somewhat-unwelcoming Kampferian ship, Q settled down in a corner and pensively went into sleep mode for a few minutes.
No outside distractions, no interruptions.
It was just her and her own thoughts.
This is nuts... what have I gotten myself into? I should have stayed back on that planet where I was lost. I wouldn't be out here, I wouldn't be so scared...
She ran a quick probability estimate through her system. To her disappointment, it worked like a charm, showing her the probabilities of various forms of certain death. Why did she always do this to herself? Was there some comfort in knowing she had a 50-50 chance of certain death and continued life?
Probability check.
[You are fifteen times more likely to be struck by a meteor than be found by Z in this galaxy.]
Probability check.
[You are twenty-seven times more likely to suffer engine failure in space than be found by Z in this galaxy]
Probability check.
[You are...]
The last result didn't pass completely through Q's mind. Oddly enough, even in sleep mode, there was a disturbance that was able to get to her.
A song.
A quiet, serene, almost haunting melody.
It ran for two minutes, and Q studied every second of it.
Eventually, the end note faded on the vocal tremolo, dissipating into silence as it had begun.
She sat there in her own thoughts again.
The beautiful song seemed to echo in her coding and thoughts. It gave her a renowned calmness that seemed to sweep through her circuits. Stepping out of sleep mode, Q rose to her feet.
"I can do this." She said to herself.
"La mia bambina cara..."
???
Cold.
She had felt nothing but cold ever since she was born.
She especially felt it now, here in this chamber. The great machine had stopped. It's heat had vanished into space.
It focused it's energy on something other than moving at this moment. There was no need to expend power, despite it's power being limitless. For now, she sat unable to do anything other than plan and reflect.
Rest was welcomed every now and again, but when she rested, she felt like herself.
And that was terrible. She didn't know what she even was when she was herself.
She preferred to be coursing through the great machine... The machine that was her home. The machine that was her.
Not this shameless form. Not this shameless being. She silently ached as she could not do anything.
She could not move the machine anywhere.
The last signals the machine had sent out were meaningless at best, and not only was she now out of range to send signals, she couldn't receive any in this state.
She couldn't even look into space to entertain her vision. The innermost chamber of her confinement had no windows. It could drive a person to claustrophobia.
So she sat as the machine's energy bled to anywhere other than where she was. Sat and did nothing.
Perhaps she was dreaming, or the stress of confinement had finally gotten to her... but she swore that... in her impenetrable fortress of a chamber... there was a song.
She listened closely, doing her best to discern whether it was real or another twisted issue with her creation.
No. It was real. A song that broadcasted through the cosmos. Had the great machine been active, she would have probably been able to force it out, too.
But it ripped through the silence of her own chamber and outer space. A digital opera of mysterious origin.
She could instantly translate the lyrics as the silence was disturbed.
They meant little to her, but the sound was nice. It took her back a bit. Was it a song she had heard before?
Forget it. Focus. The great machine will be ready soon.
You will soon have all the time you need to think about a stupid song.
<21141114152314>
200805 02 13010308091405 20080120 1405220518 1920151619
200805 19151407 16090518030504 080518 03151805
011404 160118200901121225 18052209220504 200805 01140309051420 130503080114091913
18051601091819
2114040518230125
He flushed even more, looking to the side. "Sorry," he said again, embarrassed. He was not good at this. He really, really wasn't.
His gaze traveled back to the really hot- shut UP- man in front of him, who seemed to be commending his mami. He smiled faintly. He wished he actually met her. It would have been an honor to see her perform live.
Speaking of performing... What was that the man said?
"Ka'cuni.." he mumbled to himself, sounding the unfamiliar word out carefully. He inwardly sighed- he had to calm down and get this stupid blush under control, damnit. "Sounds really pretty..."
He almost let out a sound of confusion at the sudden electronic sound before the bigger man turned it off. Maybe it wasn't importa-?
He turned his attention toward the other man, who had just scattered some tufts of hair away. He paused, then hesitantly replied. "I do use it, for combat. Doing my mami's routines help me practice control in that regard. Especially the dance sequences." He looked down at his shoes, tapping it once on the floor. "I'm actually hovering right now. The blades are mostly aerodynamic in nature, besides being weaponized. It's mostly metal now. I didn't want to melt the floor with plasma." He looked up, then blushed again, looking to the side. "Yeah..."
How awkward. Way to go, Rin.
Shut up.
His gaze traveled back to the really hot- shut UP- man in front of him, who seemed to be commending his mami. He smiled faintly. He wished he actually met her. It would have been an honor to see her perform live.
Speaking of performing... What was that the man said?
"Ka'cuni.." he mumbled to himself, sounding the unfamiliar word out carefully. He inwardly sighed- he had to calm down and get this stupid blush under control, damnit. "Sounds really pretty..."
He almost let out a sound of confusion at the sudden electronic sound before the bigger man turned it off. Maybe it wasn't importa-?
He turned his attention toward the other man, who had just scattered some tufts of hair away. He paused, then hesitantly replied. "I do use it, for combat. Doing my mami's routines help me practice control in that regard. Especially the dance sequences." He looked down at his shoes, tapping it once on the floor. "I'm actually hovering right now. The blades are mostly aerodynamic in nature, besides being weaponized. It's mostly metal now. I didn't want to melt the floor with plasma." He looked up, then blushed again, looking to the side. "Yeah..."
How awkward. Way to go, Rin.
Shut up.
Somehow, the dashing fellow seemed entirely oblivious to Rin's awkwardness still - and it seemed to be catching on, even extending to the woman who had been only moments ago, acutely aware of it.
It was the guy who always looked like he was about to laugh who took the greatest interest though, eyes widening imperceptibly at the exposition on the traveler's blades.
"Floating? No @#$%!" he said, crouching down and tipping his head to get a better look at them. Though it was unlikely he would be able to really see anything defining, he was no less impressed. "That's cool as @#$% - hey maybe we should actually look into getting some of these. Think old Doc Volo could reverse-engineer them or something?" he went on, looking up toward his companions. It was the woman who responded, giving him a warning look and a reprimanding tone. "Shut up Swanboy you know he don't like his name bein' mentioned. I mean, yeah he could probably but...I know I sure as @#$% couldn't learn to ride those things. And neither could you."
'Swanboy' gave an assenting shrug. "Yeah you probably right. Still though this @#$% is pretty rad." He stood again, and leaned in closer, looking down at Rin. He wasn't so bad looking really, merely eccentric - and perhaps a little older than the others. "Okay so, I gotta' ask - I'm sure you've been gettin' a lot of this but - is it true? I mean, you really from another Galaxy?"
The other two guys had been talking lowly, Mr. Dashing asking "Hey what was that thing on your comm?" and the big guy replying "I dunno' but it's recorded so we can listen later." Presently however, it was Mr. Dashing that spoke up to Rin before he could answer 'Swanboy'. "We've heard a lot about you - but, just so you know, we haven't watched any of that spy footage they took."
"Because that @#$% is @#$%ing creepy." The woman piped in, harshly. Dashing gave her a glance but continued otherwise undisturbed. "Boss Cathorine has very noble goals and good intentions, but she...always needs to know everything. Admittedly not one of her best traits." he sounded almost apologetic.
It was the guy who always looked like he was about to laugh who took the greatest interest though, eyes widening imperceptibly at the exposition on the traveler's blades.
"Floating? No @#$%!" he said, crouching down and tipping his head to get a better look at them. Though it was unlikely he would be able to really see anything defining, he was no less impressed. "That's cool as @#$% - hey maybe we should actually look into getting some of these. Think old Doc Volo could reverse-engineer them or something?" he went on, looking up toward his companions. It was the woman who responded, giving him a warning look and a reprimanding tone. "Shut up Swanboy you know he don't like his name bein' mentioned. I mean, yeah he could probably but...I know I sure as @#$% couldn't learn to ride those things. And neither could you."
'Swanboy' gave an assenting shrug. "Yeah you probably right. Still though this @#$% is pretty rad." He stood again, and leaned in closer, looking down at Rin. He wasn't so bad looking really, merely eccentric - and perhaps a little older than the others. "Okay so, I gotta' ask - I'm sure you've been gettin' a lot of this but - is it true? I mean, you really from another Galaxy?"
The other two guys had been talking lowly, Mr. Dashing asking "Hey what was that thing on your comm?" and the big guy replying "I dunno' but it's recorded so we can listen later." Presently however, it was Mr. Dashing that spoke up to Rin before he could answer 'Swanboy'. "We've heard a lot about you - but, just so you know, we haven't watched any of that spy footage they took."
"Because that @#$% is @#$%ing creepy." The woman piped in, harshly. Dashing gave her a glance but continued otherwise undisturbed. "Boss Cathorine has very noble goals and good intentions, but she...always needs to know everything. Admittedly not one of her best traits." he sounded almost apologetic.
Rin's cheeks warmed at the proximity, about to reply to the excitable man (My gods, he's like Vaxur isn't he?) that Yes, apparently, he was from another galaxy, there are millions of galaxies and millions of lifeforms, it's fascinating and end it at that when the other man mentioned...
He paled drastically, taking a shocked step back. There was... footage? Of... Everything? He thought they just relayed information, not recorded-
He felt like he was going to be sick. First Montagne, now the Queen-
His breathing started to get faster- $#&#, he was pani- He slapped his hand over his mouth, shakily forcing himself to breathe SLOWLY.
But he felt the tears welling up in his eyes and everything was racing, his heartbeat his thoughts, there was footage of him and now they'll know, everyone will know his weaknesses, they'll just study him in his semi-relaxed state and his other breakdown and how he was just a killer the broken Nyran they were going to be like Montagne use him thenthrowhimoutoncetheyhadwhat theywanted-
NOT HOME- The thought blazed across his mind like a siren, and he choked back an ugly sob. He stared down on the floor, unseeing, trying desperately to get a hold of himself.
He should have never let his guard down... Stupid mistake. He's so stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
He paled drastically, taking a shocked step back. There was... footage? Of... Everything? He thought they just relayed information, not recorded-
He felt like he was going to be sick. First Montagne, now the Queen-
His breathing started to get faster- $#&#, he was pani- He slapped his hand over his mouth, shakily forcing himself to breathe SLOWLY.
But he felt the tears welling up in his eyes and everything was racing, his heartbeat his thoughts, there was footage of him and now they'll know, everyone will know his weaknesses, they'll just study him in his semi-relaxed state and his other breakdown and how he was just a killer the broken Nyran they were going to be like Montagne use him thenthrowhimoutoncetheyhadwhat theywanted-
NOT HOME- The thought blazed across his mind like a siren, and he choked back an ugly sob. He stared down on the floor, unseeing, trying desperately to get a hold of himself.
He should have never let his guard down... Stupid mistake. He's so stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
The four of them were blinking now, looking confused and startled - looking back and forth to one another trying to figure out who had said what and what might have gone wrong to get them into this position.
It was the big guy who, after what seemed like much, much too long, caught on.
"Did...she actually take video of them?" he asked, sounding uncertain.
The other three continued looking back and forth to one another.
Finally, it was Mr. Dashing who said, sounding rather baffled as though he'd never thought of such a thing in his life "I...don't know. I just assumed when they said 'spying' that it included video."
"Did anyone ever actually say that there was footage?" The woman asked.
Dashing looked downward, intensely examining the floor as he thought. Then, looking back to her he said "Nope. Nobody ever mentioned having video. Or audio for that matter. They might - but, someone probably would have told us about it if they did."
"I'm thinking we might have @#$%ed this one up a little, guys." Said the other guy, with a deadpan flatness, edged just barely with a hint of concern and a glance in the intergalactic traveler's direction.
"Should I go check with someone? I feel like an idiot." Dashing said - but the big guy shook his head. "Nah. Boss would have come right to us if she'd had actual video footage. Especially something like that."
Dashing gave a helpless, admissive little laugh, and shook his head. "Damn. I guess even after all that studying under Sané I haven't become impervious to coming off as an insensitive dick."
Before he could say anything else, the ebony-skinned woman took a step toward Rin, and gave him a prod on the shoulder.
"The @#$% you freakin' out about kid? Ty's full of it. Ain't no video of you in the shower or nothin' so cool it would ya'?" She was abrasive and forward to be sure - though if someone was willing to notice it, there might have been a minute hint of good-intention in the rusty tone.
It was the big guy who, after what seemed like much, much too long, caught on.
"Did...she actually take video of them?" he asked, sounding uncertain.
The other three continued looking back and forth to one another.
Finally, it was Mr. Dashing who said, sounding rather baffled as though he'd never thought of such a thing in his life "I...don't know. I just assumed when they said 'spying' that it included video."
"Did anyone ever actually say that there was footage?" The woman asked.
Dashing looked downward, intensely examining the floor as he thought. Then, looking back to her he said "Nope. Nobody ever mentioned having video. Or audio for that matter. They might - but, someone probably would have told us about it if they did."
"I'm thinking we might have @#$%ed this one up a little, guys." Said the other guy, with a deadpan flatness, edged just barely with a hint of concern and a glance in the intergalactic traveler's direction.
"Should I go check with someone? I feel like an idiot." Dashing said - but the big guy shook his head. "Nah. Boss would have come right to us if she'd had actual video footage. Especially something like that."
Dashing gave a helpless, admissive little laugh, and shook his head. "Damn. I guess even after all that studying under Sané I haven't become impervious to coming off as an insensitive dick."
Before he could say anything else, the ebony-skinned woman took a step toward Rin, and gave him a prod on the shoulder.
"The @#$% you freakin' out about kid? Ty's full of it. Ain't no video of you in the shower or nothin' so cool it would ya'?" She was abrasive and forward to be sure - though if someone was willing to notice it, there might have been a minute hint of good-intention in the rusty tone.
Rin pressed his hand harder against his mouth, then nodded jerkily. He took several slow, deep breaths, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate on getting a hold of himself.
The woman was right. He was blowing it all out of proportion- he couldn't just keep freaking out over every little thing- he was a soldier, damnit. Even if he missed his team... Crying wasn't going to get him anywhere.
After a minute of attempting to prevent another breakdown, he put down his hand, sighing shakily. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, head ducked in embarrassed regret. "I overeacted, I-" he huffed, a bit tiredly, resigned. "I'm a mess."
The woman was right. He was blowing it all out of proportion- he couldn't just keep freaking out over every little thing- he was a soldier, damnit. Even if he missed his team... Crying wasn't going to get him anywhere.
After a minute of attempting to prevent another breakdown, he put down his hand, sighing shakily. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, head ducked in embarrassed regret. "I overeacted, I-" he huffed, a bit tiredly, resigned. "I'm a mess."
The woman gave Rin a hearty couple of pats on the same shoulder, smiling broadly. "There we go, 'at's better. Hey, no worries kid. I'd be a mess too if I were as far-" She was interrupted by a shove from 'Swanboy' and a repremanding "Dallen! I don't need ancient Sané secrets to know that won't help."
Realizing the truth in this immediately, the woman hung her head a moment, gave a huff, then a sharp look to the one she had called 'Ty'. "A'ight you're still the best out of the four of us with this talking @#$% so would ya' get to the point already?"
Clearly Ty had stumbled slightly off his 'charming' game - but he didn't hesitate, at least. He ended up beating around the bush just a little, even while keeping his voice as cool and controlled as before. Still charming and confident - but clearly offput by his failure to have handled the whole situation with total perfection, like Sané doubtless would have.
"Rin - that is your name, right? We'd actually been planning on paying you a visit once we were done testing out the cloaks - once you were awake, I mean. We heard that you...might work better with a team." He paused there for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he had made the point well enough, then continued. "We haven't talked to the Boss yet to see if she has any special plans for you - but if we tell her we want you on our team, she won't fight it."
"We're sort of her closest people. Got this whole thing started with her. So we get pretty much whatever we want." The big guy cut in, grinning.
Ty, regaining his mojo now that someone else had taken the burden for a second, set his emerald-focus back on Rin with a similar intensity as before. "We know we can't replace whoever you used to work with, nor would we want to - but at least this way, you'd have someone reliable to watch your back, if you wanted it. Not to mention that, from what we've heard of your combat skills and technique, you'd be an invaluable asset to us in the field."
Realizing the truth in this immediately, the woman hung her head a moment, gave a huff, then a sharp look to the one she had called 'Ty'. "A'ight you're still the best out of the four of us with this talking @#$% so would ya' get to the point already?"
Clearly Ty had stumbled slightly off his 'charming' game - but he didn't hesitate, at least. He ended up beating around the bush just a little, even while keeping his voice as cool and controlled as before. Still charming and confident - but clearly offput by his failure to have handled the whole situation with total perfection, like Sané doubtless would have.
"Rin - that is your name, right? We'd actually been planning on paying you a visit once we were done testing out the cloaks - once you were awake, I mean. We heard that you...might work better with a team." He paused there for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he had made the point well enough, then continued. "We haven't talked to the Boss yet to see if she has any special plans for you - but if we tell her we want you on our team, she won't fight it."
"We're sort of her closest people. Got this whole thing started with her. So we get pretty much whatever we want." The big guy cut in, grinning.
Ty, regaining his mojo now that someone else had taken the burden for a second, set his emerald-focus back on Rin with a similar intensity as before. "We know we can't replace whoever you used to work with, nor would we want to - but at least this way, you'd have someone reliable to watch your back, if you wanted it. Not to mention that, from what we've heard of your combat skills and technique, you'd be an invaluable asset to us in the field."
Rin's head jerked up, staring at- all of them really, a stunned expression on his face. They... A team? Part of...?
He pursed his lips, eyes growing distant in thought. With a team, he would have backup when he needs it, and a greater chance of survival overall. He would be able to channel his instinctive tendencies into protecting instead of always attacking. He would have a greater motivation to control his impulsiveness.
He wouldn't be alone with his thoughts.
He scanned each person quickly, gaze taking on a calculating edge.
Presumed leader, rifle most likely mid-range.
Woman had long-range sniper rifle.
Other man had a sidearm, probably mid-range.
Big man had a long case, shapes from movement suggested demolition devices.
All of them well built, so good strength and agility.
None of them had a close-combat member.
He blinked, eyes losing their cold look. He was probably not as strong as they were, but he was quick, flexible, and had good stamina. Maybe... he could contribute... somewhat...
He knew they were a team, and that he could never fit with them as one. He didn't want to- he had his own team. But they didn't want to replace them. And even with his obvious flaws... they still wanted him to join... To try.
He tilted his head slightly, giving a hesitant, tiny smile.
"I accept," he said, quietly.
He pursed his lips, eyes growing distant in thought. With a team, he would have backup when he needs it, and a greater chance of survival overall. He would be able to channel his instinctive tendencies into protecting instead of always attacking. He would have a greater motivation to control his impulsiveness.
He wouldn't be alone with his thoughts.
He scanned each person quickly, gaze taking on a calculating edge.
Presumed leader, rifle most likely mid-range.
Woman had long-range sniper rifle.
Other man had a sidearm, probably mid-range.
Big man had a long case, shapes from movement suggested demolition devices.
All of them well built, so good strength and agility.
None of them had a close-combat member.
He blinked, eyes losing their cold look. He was probably not as strong as they were, but he was quick, flexible, and had good stamina. Maybe... he could contribute... somewhat...
He knew they were a team, and that he could never fit with them as one. He didn't want to- he had his own team. But they didn't want to replace them. And even with his obvious flaws... they still wanted him to join... To try.
He tilted his head slightly, giving a hesitant, tiny smile.
"I accept," he said, quietly.
"So apparently killing a convicted serial killer and throwing him in a food dehydrater is 'illegal' and 'immoral'" mumbled Arnaldo while laying on his bunk in room 75. He got off his bed and planned to make some Nivek tea to find that they only had inner galaxy teas. "Pfft, this is what passes for a drink nowadays" *proceeds to takes swig* "...jeez". Before he could take another swig, a fierce yell came from a couple of rooms over, and spilled some tea on himself. Clearly annoyed, he grabbed his cloak and brandished his Brantom 48, "I need to have a talk with the loonies from room 77, probably the same jokers who setup that sorry excuse of music in the common room."
Arnaldo walked out of his room and walked hastily over to room 77 and knocked on the door with the barrel of his Brantom, "Hey how about you guys keep it quiet in there, and maybe you could save...whatever you guys are doing...for morning!".
Arnaldo walked out of his room and walked hastily over to room 77 and knocked on the door with the barrel of his Brantom, "Hey how about you guys keep it quiet in there, and maybe you could save...whatever you guys are doing...for morning!".
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