Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » Refuge in the Stars (1x1)

(Lol that works)

Xil lay where he was, not allowing the weight of what just happened affect him. He was tempted to look down at the lost limb on the floor but he fought the urge.
"How long do ya think it'll take till ya can get the prosthetic on me?" He asked Bill. He wasn't anxious to leave Earth, not exactly, but he did want to be to walk on his own again; although, this galaxy was a bit too close to the last one he had been stationed in. He'd rather be a bit farther, but maybe the job Marinelli needed him for would take him farther away.

"Once your safely bandaged up" hr said with a sigh "i need tp get cleaned up and get your leg out of here. Nellie here can patch you up" he said with a grimance..for a man who worked in this field he still had a wreak stomach sometimes. Getting up and wiping his hands of silverly blood he picked up the leg like a sack of potatos and walked out.

Marinelli, still quite uncomfrontable at the pet name sighed and walked over to the table grabbing bandages for him she walked back over to the table "can you sit up for me and hang your lower half over the side of the table?" Her voice wsd monotone, curt, any of the nesr undetectable symapthy that may have been there gone

Xil watched with a turning stomach as Bill picked up his cut-off leg and left the room. Still, he slowly pushed himself into an upright position and hung what was left of his leg over the table. His nerves were practically screaming at him, and he wanted to scream right back at them. He rested his head against the wall while Mari wrapped up his leg, his arms draped across his stomach and his eyes closed.

"Just try and stay awake" she said not looking up from his stump as she bandaged it with suprisingly gentle fingers. Nothing about the woman kneeling in front of him seemed anything close to soft or gentle and yet nimble fingers ghosted over his wound bandaging it as painlessly as possible "trust me, you don't want to pass out"

He nodded to her absently and wondered at how gentle her fingers were, though she was not a gentle woman. He supposed many people could be like this, though he knew he wasn't. As a medic, he'd had to work under pressure, so there was no time for soft fingers.
By this time, his leg had started to feel warm, and then numb. He'd heard many of the amputees he'd worked on talk about having felt this way after the removal of their limb and he'd always told them it was normal and would go away. He'd never thought he'd be on their side of the conversation.

"I can't tell you where i got my arm from...or my eye...or my spine, but i know a few people. They patch me up from time to time so they should be able to find you a decent leg" she said finishing her bandaging as she stood. She hadnt even realized that he probably didnt know she was only able to walk because of the cybernetic enhancements down her back. Her shirt hid the implants. It hinted that perhaps whatever had happened to her to cause hrr to need such things was more serious then one may first think.

Upon a closer look at her the skin around her arm was ragged, burned, badly scared and puckered around the metal arm, as if her arm hadnt been properly healed when they placed the metal arm on. A scar cut her eyebrow in half and ran across where her red eye was stopping at just ontop pf her cheekbone.

She was nothing if not a survivor

"I haven't got anything to pay them with. Will they still help me if I can pay them back later?" Xil said, not opening his eyes, though he did wonder about her other enhancements. He knew she must have gone through a lot of shit to get where she is now.
He didn't really know how he'd be able to pay for the prosthetics he needed. Marinelli did have a job for him, but that was in exchange for her help. He figured he'd probably have to get into mercenary work to be able to pay it off and to get a better one; he knew the one he would be getting wasn't going to be state of the art, and for whatever reason, he desperately wanted one that matched the sophistication of Mari's arm.

She shrugged "if you can make it worth their while yeah. They might. Also my name will help convince them" she said pushing her hair out of her face "getting you a decent leg is now in my personal intetest. I can't have whatever hunk of shit bill gives you falling off while youre trying to help me"

As if on que Bill came back holding a somewhat decent looking leg. It wasnt perfect, some dents in the metal here and there and it looked to be about six or seven years old but it would get him to walk which, at the end of the day was what mattered

Xil figured that the leg that Bill would let him have would be good enough to get him to a prosthetic shop. That still didn't comfort him with the thought of getting the leg on--nerves would have to be rewired and the metal would have to be bonded with his flesh. He'd also have to get used to moving and walking with the robotic leg, which seemed to be a few inches too tall for the short alien, but at least he'd only have to use it for a few days at the most.

"Alright lets just get this on-"

"Screw that your shit with putting these things on, give it to me" Mari said dryly looking over at him

"Oh and youre perfect at it" he retorted rolling his eyes at her

"Machienes dont screw up" she said tapping just beside her red eye "i will actually get it even....or as even as that hunk of junk can be"

Bill looked at her for a long moment clearly debating just how worth it it would be to argue with her and deciding that Marinelli was the type of woman where arguing wad useless he sighed and held out the leg to her.

"I hate it when you get your way" he grumbled

"Yeah well if you havent noticed ive kind of made a habit of doing that" she said with a smirk before taking the leg in her metal arm. The fake pupil in her red eye got bigger and smaller autofocusing and zooming in on his stump. With her flesh and blood hand she held his stump "this will hurt" she warned before sliding the prosthetic into place

Xil didn't open his eyes during their small argument, but gave a tiny smirk when Marinelli won. He doubted anyone would get their way over her's.
He winced as the robotic leg was put on and began to connect itself to his flesh. It did hurt, like hell, but it was nothing next to having the limb cut off. His leg was still a little numb, both from the anesthesia and from losing the leg earlier, so he was able to bear it.

She held it in place for a bit until it wss finished and then let go backing up "stay sitting but try and move it around" she said pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she spoke "i'm gonna go see what i can salvage from your ship and once you can walk were out of here"as she spoke she walked to the door slipping out without much more preamble leaving him alone with Bill


"So....how'd you get mixed up with Nellie?" He asked once he heard the front door to the barn close. It seemed odd for a woman as harsh as she was to be called something almost cute like Nellie. Espically by a man whom all she seemed to do was bicker with. It hinted that maybe there was more then just sarcastic resentment between the two. Though considering she seemed to call everyome Sweetheart and luv and hun it could very well be nothing

"See if my weapons bag is ok!" Xil called to her back. He had stolen several hand guns and a sniper's rifle; after he'd been removed from the sniper's ranks, he'd never felt right without his rifle. But stealing the goods might not have meant much if they'd been crushed in the crash.
Xil looked at Bill a moment, thinking about the nickname the man had given her. It wasn't very suited for such a tough woman, he thought.
"My ship crashed near where she was and she helped me ot." He said after a few seconds. He began to pump his new leg and tested the joints; they were a bit stiff, but the leg seemed to work alright. He bent his knee and felt how different it was. The new leg was somehow lighter than the original flesh and he didn't think he get used to it anytime soon. He slowly slid off the edge of the table and tried to walk while holding on to the table. It was definitely a few inches too tall for him, so he had to walk with a limping gait. His leg began to ache as he moved, so he settled for leaning against the cool metal of the table and moving the joints of the prosthetic.

He gave him a disbelieving look as if the thought of Marinelli helping a random stranger sounded unlikely "right." He said with a nod "be careful around her man" he said after a moment watching him steady himself "she uses people" there was a hint of some old wound in his voice, an ugly thing that scarred from having never really healed right. Perhaps this was where the resentment came from

Xil gave him a curious look and then a nod. Although he wasn't very familiar with humans, something about Bill's voice and expression made him keen to follow his advice. As he moved his new leg around, he wondered what he might have gotten himself into by getting mixed up with Marinelli.
"Thanks for helping me, by the way. I haven't got moch of anything to retarn the favor with, bot I'll do something for ya when I can." He said, intently focusing his gaze on his metallic leg.

"Nellie will make it worth my time" he said with a shrug and a dismissive wave "focus on trying to get yourself a half decent prosthetic" he said walking over to tje sink and pouring himself a glass of water

"Well, alright," Xil replied, scratching his neck. He was used to repaying kindness, but if Bill didn't want Xil in his debt, then that was fine by him.
"How moch wold a good prosthetic cost?" He asked him. He still wasn't very sure how he would pay for things like a new leg. He didn't really have any skills other than sniping and medical services, not to mention stealing and promptly crashing spacecraft, so he supposed he might have to go into assassinry or maybe working in a hospital. He knew already that the latter would be too mundane for him; after years and years of war, he was used to being under fire, both literally and firguratively. Assassinry and merc work it would have to be.

"Probably a few thousand. Though if you want anything close to what Nellie has youre looking at alot more then that. But in all honesty i have no idea where she got her prosthetics and neither does she" he didnt explain how he knew about what was, if Marinellis reaction was to be believed a very touchy subject for the red headed cybrog

Xil nodded and folded his arms, still working his leg. He thought that he could probably pay for a good prosthetic after a few jobs, though the problem would be finding one. Some alien races didn't like the Vae, either because they'd invaded their home planet at one point or had heard of the invasions. He also didn't exactly have a portfolio of assassin accomplishments to hand to potential employers, but maybe his background in sniping would be enough to get a small job as a start.

Bill opened his mouth to speak but stopped as there was thr sound of the door flying open.

Marinelli rushed inside, there was blood on her shirt by her side thr wet red staining the pale grey tank top she had on. It may have been her blood but if she was injured she didn't carry herself like she was "we have to move! Now" she growled looking more angry then frightened or concerned

"Bill keys" she said perfectly level headed she watched as the mans surly expression faded for thr first time that night into one of fear and concern at the sight of her bloodied form a full backpack on her and Xils rifle over her shoulder

"Bill now!" She snapped watching as he schooled his features and snapped out of whatever trace the sight of Marinelli had put him in and he nodded rushing to grab a set of keys in a nearby room

"Can you run?"