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=-=-=-=-=-==-A R C : C LU B / I N V A S I O N-==-=-=-=-=-=
Viora looked out the window of her shuttle and let out a tired, agitated sigh - the woman looking over to the other group of Edensians that remained silent and hesitent to open their mouths. It was...Not something any of them looked forward to. Anyone could storm in and lay waste to a bunch of gangers in their natural hell-hole. Viora had promised them something a little more exotic. A witch hunt for terrorists and enemies of the state of Edensia. By all accounts the group that RIola was leading should have left a long time ago and continued running. Instead they seemed to have bunkered themselves in with one of the more colorful criminal weapons. The orders from Viora's commander were clear as crystal as well. No survivors, sans the princess of Daowei. A bit of a loose end that Viora had mentioned to her superiors but she was chastised. The woman didn't belong to Edensia's list of most wanted, nor did they need to bring about a crisis to an already rocky alliance with her homeworld. Political tape that the blue-haired Edensian wished she could have avoided. Perhaps she could have something akin to accident, but that depended on the circumstances at hand. And it was still a good few hours before they made planetfall. At least the initial forces were there and at the ready. "Ma'am. The others are ready. We can initiate the assault at your command and gain the advantage of surprise. We just can't do anything until we recieve your orders." Viora looked over towards the voice that echoed out of her commlink and nodded to herself, before taking a small breath and flicking a bit of dust from her combat suit and glared at the rest of her unit, who looked with a bit of worry. It was time, Viora thought. The anticpation was killing her girls, and while she could have continued to have waited for the perfect moment, there was no sense in using a hammer like a scalpel. "Commence initial operations. The Daoweians will be there in no time, and the longer we wait, the more entrenched this criminal scum is going to get. Daoweian target to be apprehended and not killed. Everyone else? Terminated with utmost prejudice." Viora sighed once more and then cooed at the masked girl who let out a pained moan next to her. "Nu-Vail. Relax. The augments hurt. I understand. Once we find him, I assure you that I will at least leave him unharmed as well." The maked woman let out a small, painful gurgle and clenched at the mask, trying to pull it off; Viora slapping her hands away, and then pulling the Nu-Vail into a small hug that calmed the woman down for a moment. "My dear little pobrecito. Que Triste." |
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=CLUB/INVASION=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
“General Nakoza, sir!” One of the named's underlings stood before the man himself in salute. “Permission to speak granted,” Murrai demurred rather enjoying the peace and quiet he had now that the Edensians had had their own ship. They went ahead not wanting to be seen working together on the off chance that they were seen conspiring together. “Viora and the Edensians have landed on Hazoo. She has given the order to move in and kill all but the Daoweian. Orders, sir?” The underling's face was neutral, his eyes trained to look straight ahead. “We will provide the second wave and provide back up if things go sour and make them hopeless if it doesn't,” Murai stopped to look around, hoping that Clyde wasn't around to hear what he was about to say. “Relay the message that if a female pyra is found by the name of Rosalind Glass, she is to remain alive as well. She's wanted by two on this ship and I'm curious to see what will come of it.” “Yes, sir. We are expected to arrive on Hazoo in the next quarter of an hour, sir.” “Excellent. Ready the troops to dispatch the moment we land. Our Edensians will not fight this battle alone.” |
"Warm-blooded creature. Pffft. A lot of you humanoids are. Makes me wonder half the time if I'm the weirdo and you lot are all properly made, if you know what I mean." Hyun laughed, flicking her tongue across pearly whites, and stooping to pick up the Daoweian, Shaldag assiting with an arm to get the woman into her lover's arms. The two were definitely cute, and Shaldag was loathe to admit it out loud, lest her got roasted by both of them for voicing their....Cuteness. Hyun-chu addressed the second bit for a moment. She had called it. Tits were one of the reasons Ashi fancied her. The Chuzizian shrugged her shoulders and glanced at herself, before grunting and hefting the girl in her arms. "Good thing you're like, all bones, Ashi. Otherwise I'd fuckin' drop your ass. Just saying. Though I'm gonna get back to this alluring bit when you're ass-deep in water." Hyun-chu said, smile painted across her face while she balanced Ashi in her arms.
"Smelling like blood isn't terrible. It's smelling like piss that isn't fun." Shaldag replied, rubbing an eye with his arm and then peering close at a nick in his metal arm. "Punched a junkie that owed Hyun money and he whipped out his dick and pissed on me. I broke his neck afterwards." Shaldag grunted, Hyun's snickering turning into laughter. "Holy shit, Shaldag, I remember that! We all stared at that human for like, 3 minutes before you just grabbed and twisted him like a fuckin' dishrag." "It's not funny." "It really funny Shaldag. Light up and ha- The fuck was that noise?" Hyun said, stopping for a moment, and then glancing around wildly when the room blared a quick siren burst. Shaldag's eyes narrowed and he let out a small growl, before he looked at the two. "You two. Tunnel in the back. Leads to an alley. You know the drill, Hyun. We're gonna assume they know about it. So grab a gun." Shaldag ordered, before Hyun stared at him and raised a brow. "I'm not a fuckin' Terskix. Only got two fuckin' arms, Shaldag. You're gonna have to give one to Ashi instead." Shaldag gnashed his teeth under his mask and moved towards the couch, flipping it over and revealing two large bags. Bug-out bags most definitely. "Didn't think this place would ever get attacked, Hyun. Must be something big." "Fuckin' great. Since I foud The red-head and her male-edensian fuckboy, I've been dealing with an army of angry fuckin' space gingers." =-=-=-=-=-=-= Hyun's club had no idea what had happened. It was almost something out of an action flick, the moment the bass had dropped in whatever the DJ had been playing, a blinding flash ripped open from the side doors, and the main entrance; a Slew of Masked, tactical-clad women barking orders in Edensian to one another and opening fire on the crowd; both patron, Hyun's gangers, and just those coming in for a good time barely having time to react before they were gunned down. In a few manner of seconds and the dance floor had become a no-man's land - Laser and ballistics tracers streaking across as everyone began to take cover and exchange fire - Edensians barking orders and moving with drilled practice; and gangers bellowing out in confusion and doing their best to just....Hold the line. "Orders from Viora! Reported the resistance. We're to advance as much as we can, and then let the Daoweians crack the inside. Starve them out if we need to. Authorization to deploy Level-III countermeasures granted if the situation grows dire." Barked one of the more decorated troopers, the rest of the Edensians nodding. |
“No, I don't know that either of us are ah...improperly made. I mean, considering well, the diversity of all of the different species—humanoid and non-humanoid alike,” Ashi said grinning, leaning forward with a soft little grunt to aid Hyun in picking her up. It was a team effort to actually get her into the woman's arms, but once she was there she settled in quite nicely, the aforementioned tits squishing into Ashi, but her eyes were not there; they were looking up at the face that now smiled and Ashi again felt herself floating like a butterfly who had been present for a flower's blooming. “Well, I'll keep that in mind next time I have my eye of some calorie loaded sweets so I can stay all bones. Though I must say, because of that, I'm not half as alluring as you,” Ashi said with a playful grin.
“Wait, that was a thing that happened?” Ashi asked first with shocked wide eyes before she broke out into a fit of giggles, “You know, after knowing you longer than ten minutes, I can't say that I actually doubt i--” she was cut off by the noises and again, the wide eyes were back. Just when she thought they could get into a state of rest and repair, possibly other things, she has to hear gunfire. Of course she had to. Outside the palace grounds seemed to be a perpetual warzone. Are other people's lives this chaotic? she could help but ask herself. Of course, Hyun and Shaldag's were. She'd caught bits and pieces of both stories, more of Shaldag than Hyun, but neither seemed to be of the normal variety. Then, was hers really all that normal? “I...I kind of know how to work a gun. My ah..training didn't extend to guns, but my brother took me to a range once. I still remember everything he told me. Do...do you think it's the uh..'space gingers'?” Ashi asked using Hyun's own terminology. “What do the Edensians want with you?” =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Daoweians came in after the initial rush to find blood and bodies strewn throughout the dancefloor, hanging on the bar, perched precariously on bar stools. Even the robot that had obviously been working as a bar tender now fizzled out and sat hunched behind the bar. The Daoweians, like the Edensians were armed to the teeth but it seemed the initial phase was already done. Murai, no longer in the important looking suit and now in the same gear as his men came strutting in with folded arms, “Viora, you've outdone yourself. Nicely done.” Then, to his men, “You know your orders! Crack the inside! I want every room scoured! Those that are left, kill them! You find a female redhead, leave her alive, the rest? Kill them.” |
Bags were slung over Shaldag's arms, and the Ogrunu was sporting a weapon of his own - A rather large, heavy calibered rifle in one hand as he reached to his thigh and pulled out a revolver that most certainly was made for Shaldag himself, offering out towards Ashi for her to take. "Hopefully we're not going out into a warzone, and we can just run. You're not in the condition to play fighter." He said, before glancing at Hyun, who was about to open her mouth. "And you're not going to be able to handle shooting a gun while carrying someone. And if you even think of dropping her and taking off on your own, I'll hunt you down for Ashi." The Warlord in Shaldag was showing, and his tone of voice oozed with a command that had never been brought out before - Hyun blinking a few times and scowling at the man, before looking over towards Ashi.
"I wasn't planning on dropping you. Promise. Shaldag is just running his stupid fuckin' mouth. He gets like this when it comes to firefights and shit." Hyun snorted, Looking at the gun that Shaldag offered her and then giving a small look of hesitation. She felt bare without her own weapons in hand. Defenseless. It was still her fault that she had to carry the princess, due to her getting beaten in by the Ogrunu. Hyun almost opened up her mouth to demand the man himself carry her about while she got to shoot things, but the Chuzizian knew better than that. Shaldag was already in survival mode, and he was moving towards her bedroom - Hyun hefting Ashi and carrying her along with her. "See the part with the hole pointing out, Ashi? Aim it at everyone that isn't us. Don't pull the trigger, press it. Don't compensate the recoil." Hyun spat out, going a mile a minute with her words. "Also if you need to use me as a shield. Chuzizian. Can kinda grow bits of me that get shot, deal?" Hyun's bedroom of all things, was rather...Feminine for the Chuzizian. The room was pastel colored, and the trim along the room etched in some alien and exotic flaura and fauna; the woman's bedspread a shade of pink that matched the Chuzizian's skin. a small array of comics were on her nightstand and Hyun pointed to a small metal case and barked at Shaldag to bring that along with her; Shaldag grunting a response and then nabbing it as well, before slamming a shoulder through a wall - the plaster breaking away and revealing a tiny, metal panic room with cramped stairway. "....Am I really carrying this along with me, Hyun?" "You wanna leave first edition out for Edensian? Those militant-ass lesbians would probably just burn them all." -=-=-=-=-= It was a few more desperate minutes and the rest of the gangers that had surrendered were met with a fitting end as Viora herself entered through the main entrance to the club, looking towards the bodies and wrinkling her nose. Tremendous waste of potential assets, but it was better in the long run. Those who managed to scatter were most likely going to end up Joining RIola's side, and that was several more bodies and unindentified combatants that Viora would have to enter in the equations of this skirmish. The blue-haired Edensian sighed and moved through some of the Daoweians, Nu-Vail drifting behind her like a shadow and gurgling under her breath, stopping to stretch out a hand and rake it across one of the Daoweians. "Murai. Our work is currently finished. This unit was meant for initial shock-and-awe. We're not equipped for the sweeping of rooms, and dealing with whatever horrible traps these gutter scum have left for us." Viora said with a monotone drone - Soon being clung to by Nu-Vail as she made her way towards the two - Viora offering the masked woman a few reassuring pats and shooshes. "If you wish to join us, I'm going to join the recon team to make sure our targets are not slipping away as we speak." |
Ashi found herself relating heavily to the bags that Shaldag was slinging over his arms and shoulders. She was baggage. She was the Kia to Hyun's Zi, with the same likelihood of death looming in the future. It was true Kia lasted the longest so far, but if Zi's past girlfriends were any indication she would end up as dead as the rest.
She gulped looking up at the woman that would be saving her. Technically, again. “I...I believe you. Shaldag does what he can to make sure we both stay living...I'm just glad you both are on my side,” she said, half-mustering a smile, the parts that failed with the smile successfully conveying the terror she felt at being completely and utterly useless in this situation. She took the gun in her hand and she nodded with every command Hyun gave her, showing her understanding without interrupting the woman in charge. “Got it. Ehm. In theory. Hopefully we won't find out in practice...” She didn't like the idea of using Hyun as a shield, but she'd seen the regenerative ability that her girlfriend had, so once again, she was forced to believe her. “Of all of the ways I imagined your room, Hyun,” Ashi said looking about her with a small laugh despite the circumstances, “This is not how I imagined it. But, I do like your choice of decorations.” Despite her fear, she couldn't help but pay attention to Shaldag's new burden, “Those are really first editions?! Wait. Like really?! I'm a princess and could only get my hands on a couple! You have an entire nightstand full of them?!” -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- “You and yours have done a most excellent job, Viora. I'm pleased that you have decided to join us,” Murai said with the steady smirk of one who is in charge talking to an equal. To him, Viora might as well have been a man. She bore all of the qualities it took to make an excellent man, anyway. “To be sure my men do as good of a job, I will stay behind with them and complete a sweet. You will ping me if you find the suspects on hand, I trust?” As he asked this question, one of his men stepped forward in a salute, silent until bidden to speak, “Sir, no signs yet of the suspects. Most rooms have been cleared, men are heading toward the rear now. Further orders, sir?” Murai cleared his throat, assessing the soldier in front of him. Young. Strong. A good man. The king had really granted him the best, “Ready the daweigo.” He reached into his pocket drawing out a piece of cloth that had been cut from a shirt or some sort of piece of clothing, “Give them this scent to go off of.” |
New cargo in tow, the Ogrunu pissed and moaned under his breath; his mask hiding an irritated snarl that increased in volume for a brief second as he used his foot to kick up the door to the tunnels in Hyun's panic room; the Ogrunu dropping each bag down first, waiting for the thud and the echo, and then doing the same with the case of comics, Hyun pouting at the treatment of her little bundle of treasures, as she shrugged at Ashi. "Chances are we'll find out in practice, knowing our luck though. Can't say for certain we're making thing out free. I'm expecting cuffs, or getting sent against the wall with bags over our head while we hear them count down." Hyun said, with a grim chuckle. "Oh, the First Eds? I have a lot of them yeah. Almost the first twenty issues. Took me a long time to get them, yeah."
Shaldag moved over towards Hyun and grabbed hold of her, prompting the Chuzizian to curse in surprise; Shalda bridal carring Hyun and bearing the weight of both girls while he jumped down after the bags, landing on his feet and nearly tumbling onto the two, before setting them down. "Didn't want to play catch with Ashi." He said, explaining himself before moving over to their cargo, hunched over and returning to his job as pack mule. "Should be quiet. If they found out about this tunnel they've likely set something up for us to greet when we hit the streets." "You get all cute when you take command, Shaldag." Hyun commented, spitting her tongue out at him. Shaldag raised a finger to her and grunted at her before nodding down the tunnel. "Get moving. You can swoon later when you're both alive." Hyun shot a glance towards Ashi and leaned in close. "Not gonna lie. But he's fuckin' pissing me off. I hate being ordered and shit..." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Of course. Though I suspect that if you don't find them in here, we should at least resort to capture. To extact needed information from these...Lot of degenerates." Viora replied, letting herself stand at ease for a moment, and then looking around towards her own troops. They had done enough for now, but I know for sure Recon will be able to at least confirm truly if they're around." Viora coughed into her hand for a moment and then sniffled her nose. The scent of sweat and liquor, along with all these bright lights and loud music? It was a bit overwhelming on the senses. At leat Nu-Vail was taking all the sensations rather well; the woman drifting away from the Edensians and peering towards a few Daoweians before hovering over near Murai; the woman itching at her mask. Viora looked towards Murai and cocked a brow at the mention of 'Daweigo' and then crossed her arms. "I assume those are some form of animal. I'll be sure to relay not to harm them if they are going off and tracking things down as well. Edensian policy is treat unknown entities like those as hostile." A small pause. "But for now I'm wasting time. I leave the Onovozian girl with you too. She's not...Fitted for recon." Viora admitted, sighing and brushing some of her hair out of her face. "...I do not see Gabrion. Is he on your ship still or did he scamper off?" |
The three of them would have made quite the sight, Hyun carrying Ashi and Shaldag carrying the both of them. Ashi wouldn't complain though as their speed didn't seem affected by the added weight on the man as he plunged forward and made a successful landing on the ground below with a small gasp from the princess. When she opened her eyes again, Hyun was back on her feet and she was blinking as Shaldag explained himself, “Well, I very much appreciate that...I think just hearing another of my bones snap would be enough to make me hurl and that's the last thing we need right now..”
Under other circumstances, Ashi would have also laughed at Shaldag sending orders to Hyun and her mouthing off to him, but for now she just gulped, clutching the weapon she was given, “He's just trying to protect us...I think we're all on edge.” Ashi was whispering despite all of the noise that was going on around them. The din of the music was almost imperceptible here, but one could hear screams and gunfire. Were they Edensians? What did they want with her? The Daoweians maybe...but she didn't see any of them, at least, not before they made their retreat. Were the Edensians targeting the wrong place? She remembered hearing something about issues with the Edensians concerning the foul redhead, but he was on their ship already. An attack at the club would be pointless. Further, how did they find them? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Murai sighed, “Do you really believe you'll get any useful information out of them? I imagine if we let them live one or two of them will try to get smart and kill while we're not looking. But then, I suppose you have more experience with war than I. Gentlemen, you heard her. Keep the rest alive, bring them out and line them up. Interrogate them and ask about the two we intend to keep alive and if they've seen them. Report any information back to me.” As he was giving the orders, one of his men approached, three perfectly obedient daweigos on his heels. “As commanded, sir.” “Excellent,” Murai said approaching them and retrieving a small cloth and holding it out for the daweigos to smell. “Follow this scent. Viora, you said you wanted the princess alive for experimentation or something or other, correct? If you don't, I can give the order to kill her along with your target, if you wish.” He straightened when the keeper of the dogs took them away to begin their job and he turned to face Viora, “I was unaware that your little gift required babysitting. I can have one of my men search for him if you think he'd be of use here?” |
"That and ruining the bones of your boss's squeeze ain't exactly the best fuckin' way to try and earn a bonus." Hyun-chu interjected, hufffing for a moment and testing her own footing before taking a couple of practice steps to make sure Ashi was still resting comfortably and steady in her arms. The Chuzizian shook her head to get a few tendrils out of her face, and then looked down towards her chest. "Ashi, tug my shirt up." She grunted, glancing one direction, and then the other. It had been awhile since she actually had to use an escape tunnel, and with a perplexed look on her face kicked towards the left. "I can protect us on our own if I needed." Hyun said, the defensiveness in her voice making her sound almost like a childish whine. "Besides, I still wonder how his large mechanical ass fits in these tunnels."
Shaldag stopped for a second and then moved over towards Hyun-chu, the look on his face burning with irritation. "Keep talking. I'll leave you both here." He grumbled, looking in the direction that Hyun kicked and simply lurching down that way. "Well at least you started it off right. This is the way out. The other direction just leads to where you toss the bodies of your exes when you're bored of them." It was a rather sour joke, and the venom was meant to hit the both of them. If anything it would at least get the two to be a little more quiet while he tried to sort out a better gameplan than just 'Run and pray for a probable exit.' A turn around the corner and the scent of the sewers hit the trio with a fervid blast of septic air; Hyun forcing bile back down her throat, and Shaldag letting out a small "Blech' from his mask, the man bringing up a metal hand and then lowering it. Not like he could cover his nose and mouth... =-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-= Viora shrugged her shoulder for a moment, and gave Murai a small, tired sigh. "Whatever information, no matter how little or insignificant is substantial. Intelligence gathering wins wars. Not brute force. Though the latter is always a welcome addition." She said, before darting her eyes over towards some of the Edensians who were leaning against the wall; the group looking towards Viora and then shouldering their weapons and resuming their patrols. Viora barked something at them and crossed her arms, tapping her foot in annoyance. Laziness. Those girls would be recieving marks for such actions. "Feel free of course to execute them when they've talked. They will not be allowed the opportunity." To say Viora was startled by the beasts they called Daweigos was an understatement. Perhaps it was the first time her own soldiers saw the woman show some semblance of hesitation when they were brought forth, and the blue-haired woman took a few steps back from the beasts, and then slowly moved a hand to her holster, finger unnapping and resnapping the top-flap while she frowned; brow furrowing at the beasts. "Hmm? Oh, yes. The princess alive if possible. Information. And I am sure your king would enjoy the experiments that would be performed on her. Behavioral modification. Perhaps some electro-magnetic therapy to at least offer your king the chance to...Correct...Her mental flaws, as he believes she is afflicted with." The topic had turned to Clyde, and Viora gave Murai a rather serious look. "Keeping him unobserved is the equivalent of leaving a cannister of jet-fuel near open flame. It can be destructive for both sides. However, the being was your gift. Bring him if you want, and if you have him around. He can at least...Deal with the bodies. Carrion is a favored dish for the creature." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Things had gone catastrophically wrong down in the tunnels. The two Edensians looked at each other for a moment as they ran. The sick fuck had gotten Arisa. And it wasn't keen on just leaving witnesses to his blatant crimes. And whatever comms they had tried using had led to nothing but static. Sewers were atrocious and here they were being hunted down... Ricarda looked over towards the Edensian near her to see a tendril of white shoot out from one of the piles of refuse, and latch around the Edensian, the woman screaming and aiming her gun to fire at the pseudopod latching onto her and spraying both of them with blue before she was pulled backwards, several more tendrils emerging from the pile and then probing at the Edensian's armor before one of the many tentacles warped and twisted, a large spur of calcium and bone forming and hardening before it plunged itself through the Edensian's screaming mouth, and burrowed down her throat. The woman spasmed and twitched, before going limp - Ricarda gagging and then hefting her gun at the pile of trash; Clyde's head peeking out while the protrusions from his back began to tug and pull at the body's arms. "Got m'self a fuckin' puppet. Look at th'cunt's legs go. S'like she's dancin' !" Clyde snickered, making his rather macabre marionette dance, and spurring Ricarda to simply begin running again. Clyde didn't bother chasing her down. Rather his face began to warp and twist; a plume of red hair growing out of his head, and features slowly beginning to plant themselves on where a face should have been. Pulling his Edensian doppelganger closer to him, Clyde studied her imperfections a bit more closely, then mimicked them as well - The Fae dumping the body and and then stripping it bare of clothing and armor. Ricarda turned yet another corner, and then stopped; looking towarda a trio of aliens. Ad one of the targets before raising her rifle and pulling the trigger, the clicking of an empty rifle making her sweat and then slowly sob, the woman dropping to her knees... |
Ashi opened her mouth ready to say something along the lines of “wasn't it her that told you to--” but she stopped herself saying instead, “It needed to be done if I was to become part of the gang, right? I don't hold it against either of you two, especially for all that you're doing for me on the road to recovery.” Ashi swallowed glancing down at the aforementioned shirt which was deliciously revealing in its current state but she nodded and did as she was told, looking up to Hyun for approval, “This good?”
Ashi blinked at the joke, taking it not like one, “How...how often do you get bored of your exes?” She gulped again hoping that she could be the exception, that she could at least stay interesting enough to be kept around. Though, when the princess thought about it, she didn't have anything particularly interesting about her, save, maybe, her title. And that was something she was giving up by her getting beat into the gang. The assimilation would be complete when she got her tattoos. Unlike the beat in, however, this was something she was rather looking forward to. She'd heard that tattoos hurt quite a lot, but she decided that at this point she'd made it through successfully through much much worse. The plan did work, Ashi did fall silent clinging to Hyun with her one good arm, the other tucked close to her chest. She coughed with the sudden wall of odor and moved her good hand to cover her face, her eyes tearing up. She'd never smelled anything so foul before and she felt like she could puke at any given moment, doing her best to keep her composure. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Murai grinned in response to his sour counterpart, “That's exactly what the daweigos are for. They'll smell out the culprits and hopefully if they find the princess your target will be there as well. As of our current juncture I'm not sure if the two groups are related, though they certainly were when the exchange was made.” He scratched his chin then moved his finger to his ear watching as the man who'd brought the daweigos gave one to two other men, the three of them splitting up. He watched Viora bark orders at a couple of her people who'd been slacking and Murai shook his head. If they were his men, he'd brain one of them and execute the other in front of the rest of his men to show them what happened when they stopped doing their jobs. Harsh? Perhaps, but then Murai's men all seemed to be hard at work split up. He moved his hand to his ear, “Connor? Fetch the rest of the daweigos and take one for yourself. Those drones that you were working on in our travels, do you have them? Are they ready?” “Ay, sir. Shall I ready them, and should I set them to capture or fatal?” “Set them to capture, but leave them with me. I will send them after the man that finds our prey.” “Ay. Ah'll set to work immediately on that as well.” “Oh, and Connor, have you seen Gabrion at all?” “No sir, ah 'aven't seen 'im since we touched ground. Want me t' ask around?” Murai swore under his breath, “No. No. Don't worry about it.” Then, turning to Viora said, 'Is there any way I can call him, or even a way I could control him?” |
Hyun shrugged her shoulder for a moment, and then nodded. "Well, you fuckin' got me there. I can't really say much because I told him to pretty much fuck you up. But you're not to be broken now. Or I'll kick someone's ass over it." Hyun said with a grunt, looking down for a moment, making sure everything was covered like she had asked and nodded. "Good enough. Running is hard when they slap you in the face with every step." Hyun said with a dry tone to her voice, the Chuzizian roling her eyes for a moment. Shaldag of course didn't seem to be interested in speaking and kept trekking onwards.
Hyun was more than happy to divulge everything and keep Ashi occupied. At least someone was able to provide a bit of conversation while they were running and biding their time. "Well, the last one sorta lasted for about a week, then we broke up. And by broke up, he slapped me and then I watched my doctor extract his organs while he was still alive. Truth be told, there's not too much of a joke. I did dump him here. Vermin probably got the remains now." She hummed, before sniffling and waggling her brow flesh. "Look on the bright side. I don't think I'm gonna really get bored of you. I do enjoy your company." Shaldag had stopped for a moment however, and was staring a rather hysterical Edensian who seem to be on the verge of a mental breakdown; the Ogrunu narrowing his eyes for a moment and then looking towards the other two, only to turn back and slam his fist into the Edensian's head. Not hard enough to kill her, but she wouldn't be waking for a long time, if at all. Shaldag shook his wrist out of habit and then looking towards Hyun and Ashi with a raised brow. "Out of ammo. Sobbing. That doesn't bode well." Shaldag grunted. Hyun stopped as well for a moment and pursed her lips. She had no idea what the space-gingers were actually capable of, and considering how hard they had hit her club? Hyun swallowed again and then coughed when her stomach lurched. The smell was getting to her and it felt like it was getting stronger by the second. Shaldag however saw another Edensian this time, and didn't have time to simply run over and knock her out, the Ogrunu raising his gun and firing a round that knocked the red-haired woman onto the ground - Though she got back up - A large hole that oozed blue and pulsed with life where Shaldag had struck her, and making the Ogrunu step back for a moment in shock. "...Something's not right." The shot edensian snickered for a moment; several tendrils of blue-white flesh erupting out from the fresh wound and forming a variety of barbs and sharp bits of bone. "S'fuckin' smarts, y'fuckin' piece of shit." The Edensian boomed; face warping and twisting until the features left her face; tanned skin growing paler by the second until it was stark white. "I guess y'the lot I'm supposed t'be killin' with th'rest of them..." |
Ashi smiled. Hyun was up to bat for her, which was comforting. Of all of the people she'd come into contact with, the two who she liked the most were now her two most dear and both would defend her as she would defend them when she was good enough to do so. The situation they were in was terrifying yes, but they were Edensians. They weren't after her, they were after that male Edensian who hated her. Upon finding them, they should just theoretically leave, right?
Ashi's eyes shone with Hyun's admission. If it meant anything, Ashi liked Hyun's company as well. Life was an adventure when she was around, and one worth living no longer cooped up in in the palace. She couldn't help but feel like Hyun was some heroine saving her from her castle that she was simultaneously the prisoner of and ruler for. Hyun saved her. “Well, this is good because I know I'm definitely not going to get bored of you,” she offered another smile up to her hero. She stopped herself, blinking at the hysterical Edensian. Surely the gangers didn't have this effect on her? If it was the gangers, then she'd have to put more stock into the men she'd seen earlier. If it wasn't...that meant... that something else was down in here with them, something that so obviously did not care about petty things like “allies.” Ashi winced hearing the crack of a skull against the wall but steeled herself against gasping. “What do we do?” she whispered, drawing her arm closer to her chest. “Suh-suh-supposed to kill?” Ashi squeaked. If she was helpless before as an able bodied person, she was more than powerless now, not even able to walk. “Who are you supposed to kill?” |
Everything that Shaldag had witnessed in his life had been thrown out the window with the...Alien? Monster? Whatever the Edensians had brought down in the sewers. A gun blowing a hole in someone meant death, not irritation. Shaldag readied his gun while the being was morphing and harassing them, his mind ablaze with fire trying to think of a plan to at least get the other two out of harm's way. The thing made itself clear that he was gonna kill them all. Talking it out didn't seem like the way things were gonna happen.
Clyde looked towards the blue-haired girl for a moment; a pale hand digging into the writhing mass of tentacles protruding out of his wound and with a grunt and a chilling snap, pulled out a broken shard of rib; the Fae gripping it like a makeshift shiv, his head cocking to the side while an ear wriggled as the woman spoke. "...S'not th'obvious? Vi was right about y'Daoweian lot bein' right daft in th'fuckin' head. Only assholes I'm seein' t'be killed are y'lot. So ergo: Th'cunts I gotta end are th'ones walkin' in front of me." Clyde chimed; looking towards the dead Edensian and shrugging a shoulder. Collateral damage. Oh well. Not that the chick was cut out for this kind of work anyway. She started sobbing the moment things had gotten rough (IE: Clyde getting agitated over stubbing his toe.) Hyun was looking for an escape the moment she had seen tendril form out of the Edensian? Faceless thing? Whatever shitpile she had encountered, and then looked towards Ashi. "Good job, they're sending their weird ass super monsters at us for you." She teased with a rather dry, angry tone in her voice, before looking to Shaldag. The man was their only chance out of this, and Hyun was starting to panic, breathing heavier and heavier. She couldn't outrun anyone with Ashi in her arms. And her legs were busted... Looking towards Shaldag, the Chuzizian frowned for a moment. "This seems like it's gonna be one of those situations you've talked about before." Hyun murmured, frowning hard enough to leave deep grooves in her cheek. Shaldag nodded and moved over towards the Chuzizian, looking towards both of them and letting out a deep rumble - All the chemical tubes beginning to work and pump their various fluids into his neck. Shaldag's eyes were dilating slowly with each passing moment - The Ogrunu looking more and more bestial. "The moment things begin. You run. Run past it. Then fuck everything else in your way. Deal?" Shaldag growled, Hyun nodding slowly and gulping. "Suppose we get to see why everyone calls you 'Shaldag' now, right?" She replied. |
Ashi couldn't help it. She was terrified and trembling, wide-eyed and gawking at the creature that bullets couldn't seem to touch. Her mouth went dry instantly. “I...I knew that father would send someone to try to kill me...I never thought this...this thing would--” she didn't finish the sentence, shaking her head, “I never knew father had access to anything like this...” The insults went right past Ashi. Dense? Maybe. The entire planet was under the delusion that an oligarchy was the way to go and any problems they faced they ran from under the guise of invisibility. No, Ashi was not particularly proud to be Daoweian.
“Shaldag...don't,” Ashi squeaked. As far as Ashi could see, brute force was not going to kill this creature. Bullets couldn't touch him, so there was likely nothing that Shaldag could do but distract him for just a moment. “It's...it's pointless. Just...Just... Look. I'm the one he wants. Leave me here for him and...and get out--” Ashi gushed, eyes darting from Hyun to Shaldag who was already taking his battle stance. “B-besides,” she continued, mustering a small smile looking up at Hyun, “I already made it farther than I could have ever dreamed. I can die knowing I had a girlfriend...” |
"Thing? Thing? Y'fuckin' watch y'little mouth before I right fuck y'throat with a fist." Clyde spat out, his head twisting like a corkscrew until it split open like a venus flytrap, teeth-like protrusions on each barb from "Split" in his head writhing and leaking with blue fluid. Clyde let out a shrill hiss, before sizing up the Ogrunu for a moment; pale fingers wriggling, only to adhere together into one long digit, and then split apart back to several more fingers. "Thing...S'right fuckin' rude t'call th'Fae who'll bring y'soul back t'Hell, bitch." Clyde took a step towards the group, only for Shaldag to move in front of them; Clyde twisting his head to the side. "Y'heard th'stupid blue-haired asshole, y'fuckin' peace of meat an' machine. Step back an' lemme right make sure th'princess gets what sh'deserves."
Shaldag looked towards the warped creature and then back towards Ashi - Shaldag taking a deep sigh and easing his shoulders for a moment. It was true. The whole ordeal seemed to be relying on the fact that everyone was looking for her and the Edensian. Hyun and himself? Simply just caught in the horrid middle between two corrupt planets working together to bring her back. Still, there was a small burning in his veins, both from the heat of impending combat, and the chemicals pouring through his veins. And each second spent talking and bickering was a second less of being able to hold this thing back. "Bullets couldn't touch him. You're right. But I haven't...Felt a rush like this in a long time. Someone to fight that won't break in half with a few punches." Shaldag grinned, his mask stretching before he pulled it down to reveal his smile of broken and mangled teeth. "Besides. I promised I'd look after you. So I'm not budging." A small pause. "And then I'm gonna live while this thing is in a coma, because I've gotta make sure Toka is safe next." Hyun listened to Ashi for a moment, the frown on her face growing more and more angry by the moment. Adjusting the Daoweian in her arms so she could move a free hand; the woman latched onto a broken bone and jerked it enough to get her sappy speech to end. "Shut it! Shut it, shut it! You're not being fuckin' handed over! I like you okay? I don't give shit away for free. Not things I like. And not to some shitty government, or some weird, mutated asshole who ain't got a face." Hyun spat out, taking a few deep breaths. "Shaldag! I better see you back on the upside, or I'm coming back down here when they live and kicking your corpse around! Now fucking do your damn job!" Shaldag didn't need to be asked twice, the Ogrunu lunging towards Clyde, who barely had time to react before metal hands had grasped onto him - and Shaldag driving his head towards the Fae's collar, taking a large bite and pulling white flesh from the being - Clyde shrieking as pale pseudopods began to wrap around every inch of the Ogrunu that he could muster. While the two began their scuffle, Hyun began running, slipping past them and gripping onto the Daoweian like a priceless treasure - Hyun even kicking her comics out of the way as she began to bolt down the sewer halls. |
Had Ashi not been gripped by fear in that moment, she would have retorted with something along the lines of “Weren't you going to do something along those lines anyway?” But instead she was curled up in Hyun's arms, trembling, terrified, ...useless. The fae was terrifying and unlike anything she'd ever seen. As far as she knew, there was no possible way to beat this thing.
Ashi felt a nudge, initially, and then pain, a searing pain. Wide blue eyes looked down at her arm for the first time since the beat in and sure enough, two bones were poking through her skin, one of which was in Hyun's hand as she wrenched it. She squeezed her eyes shut biting back a scream. “I'm—I'm sorry,” she squeaked, her eyes watering. Despite the pain though, she knew that Hyun was trying to protect her. She knew that Hyun knew that if they had just handed her over, she and Shaldag would both get out of there alive and untouched. But Hyun liked her enough to save her...to risk it all...to save her. The tears streamed freely down Ashi's cheeks and she buried her head in Hyun's chest and began to cry. Never before had she felt like such a burden. But, never before had she felt so... loved. |
Shaldag felt something. Something he hadn't felt in such a long time. IT was a sickening chill that ran down his spine as fibrous white flesh began to worm it's way around him, probing for any sort of weakness or nook it could fill into his metal arms. He had the being pinned so far, but with how...Malleable the creature was? He was beginning to doubt tackling him head on like this was the wisest choice. Shaldag snarled, and managed to pull an arm free to hurl a vicious little punch - the blow landing right into the flytrap-esque head of clyde before Shaldag closed his hand around the mess of tendrils erupting from what someone could call a mouth and pulling hard enough to rip flesh and send a splurt of blue blood into his face - Shaldag spitting out the fluid and coughing; Clyde seizing the moment almost immediately and forming one of his hands onto a lump of calcified flesh - the ball of bone whipped at Shaldag's head like a morningstar. The Ogrunu bellowed in agony, and stumbled for a moment, before Clyde pushed himself forward, leaping onto the large man and sending him tumbling to the ground.
"What the fuck are you!" Shaldag bellowed, ripping free another hand and slamming it repeatedly down on the back of Clyde's neck; the Fae responding with another whip of his flail-arm. "Th'fuck are you too! Y'ain't runnin'. Y'ain't dyin' fast enough!" Clyde screeched, his head jerking and spasming before releasing a plume of bile onto Shaldag; the Ogrunu roaring once again as stomach acid began to burn and sizzle what flesh he had on his face and neck. "I'm going to be the one who makes you fucking drop dead." Shaldag hissed in defiance, Clyde snickering for a moment and bellowing up another bout of bile, hair on Shaldag's head sizzling and plopping to the ground, before the flail on his hand warped and twisted into something sharper. "Y'know how many people said tha' lots of them." Clyde chimed, wriggling small tendrils of flesh. "I survived. Th'did not." Shaldag watched that spike rise up into the air, a few moments of life flashing before his eyes, before he reached down towards his belt. Pulling out a small device, the Ogrunu whipped it up into the air right when the blade came crashing down into his gut - Shaldag gurgling as blood began to rise up in the back of his throat. Once last little bit of stength and the Ogrunu pulled Clyde as close as he could into a bear hug, before forcing a smile on his face. "Fuck you." ------ Hyun sucked her cheek for a moment, her run slowing a bit so she could catch a bit of her breath, the Chuzizian shaking her head. "No. Don't be sorry. Just...Stop thinking you're a pile of shit, and you don't deserve some fuckin' respect or anything. You're not a martyr. Stop acting like it." Hyun exhaled, looking behind her for a moment to make sure whatever it was hunting Ashi wasn't going to be creeping around the corner. Hyun was panick-stricken at this point. She felt rather vulnerable without her meatshield lumbering nearby, and half of her being wanted to just drop the princess and make sure he was at least still putting up a fight. "Calm down. You're doing fine for someone with a broken leg. Sorry about jostling the fuckin' bone. Probably hurt like a bi-" Hyun paused when she heard the explosion behind her; Eyes lighting up as a plume of debris and smoke, and red and blue fluid sprayed onto the ground and walls near them. The ringing in her ears seemed to down out everything else for a moment, but soon was replaced with quiet; Hyun petting Ashi for a moment as she tried to make sure the girl burrowed into her chest was okay. "Holy shit...The asshole didn't..." Was all Hyun managed to eke out, tears filling her eyes before she sniffled and began to shake. "Ashi. Do your invisible thing for a second." She squeaked out, setting Ashi down onto the ground, and rushing over to the scene. "No no no no no. Shaldag. You're not fucking dead. You can't be. You're not dead, you're not dead." It was silent soon after for a few moments longer before Hyun let out a deep sob, and back up back into eyesight, before shaking her head, soon followed by a large, lurching being, arm missing and each step a huge limp. It was Shaldag, The Ogrunu looked like hell had tried to claim him. Entrails were visible and poking out of the wound in his chest, and his jaw dangled, held there only by thin connective tissue and muscle; tongue lifeless as swaying with each heavy, pained breath. A shard of metal was lodged in one eye, but still carried on; the Ogrunu pointing at Hyun, and then towards the direction they were running, before pointing up. "...You selfless asshole. Don't order me around." Hyun said, half-laughing, and half crying, before looking over towards...Wherever Ashi should have been. "Ashi. Make yourself seen again. We need to get the fuck outta here. Fuck...fuck fuck fuck...Shaldag. You mangled yourself..." |
Ashi looked up at Hyun's noble face, the tears still wet on her cheeks. I'm not the martyr, Shaldag is... She couldn't seem to find words to respond to the owner of the arms that were carrying her to safety, hoping instead that soon she'd be responding in actions rather than hollow words. She was loved now. Loved by someone other than just an adoring fan of her status as a princess. Hyun loved her for her. Shaldag, too, loved her. In a different way, but she could see that that love was as real and no less strong than Hyun's. |
Shaldag casted a tired, glazed over eye at Ashi, when she made herself seen and uttered a pained, agonized sigh, before continuing to trudge forward, Hyun keeping an eye on the man as she reached into her jacket and pulled out a small set of syringes. Mostly drugs and painkillers, the Chuzizian plunging needle after needle into Shaldag, and then producing a bag of Chellix and smearing it in the Ogrunu's face. It seemed to be working to at least keep him going, and Hyun snapped her head towards Ashi; magenta eyes narrowed. "He wants to be a big, bag warlord right now and walk on his own. I know him. Like a goddamned brother." She hissed, moving over to Ashi and pulling her back into a bridal carry - Hyun grunting and making a comment in her native tongue.
The drugs kicking in, and stumbling and slow steps became a bit more quicker and precise; Shaldag still trying to move as fast as he could and keep an eye on the group. Shaldag wheezed with each step, reaching up for what should have been his breather mask, only to feel teeth and a hanging jaw; An eye going wide as he started to sense his own damage. At least the next turn they made showed the neon lights of the city. They had managed to make it into the back alleys of Hyun's club. "Holy fuck. We did it." Hyun gasped, taking in the scent of fresh(ish) air and looking back towards the sewers, the Chuzizian shuddering for a moment and heading in the direction of the hangar where she had left the rest of then. "If they've taken off, we're kinda fucked. Just saying." Hyun said, frowning and flaring her nasal slits. If that was the case, she'd probably just put both Shaldag and Ashi out of their misery. She loved them, but they couldn't make it far in that condition. It was an act of mercy and she knew it. Shaldag had stopped while Hyun was talking and looked down at the sudden patch of softness he was standing on, cocking his head to the side and lifting a foot to see a small bundle of jostled, wrinkled clothing; Shaldag forcing himself to hunch over and reach out with his only hand to pick up a red bandana and tiny cowboy hat, the Ogrunu studying them before he put two and two together, liquid pooling near his good eye and dripping down a cheek. He wanted to scream. Lash out. But his broken body couldn't afford it. Toka was gone. And he wasn't there to help her when she needed it. Or guide her into the warm tides of the ocean of afterlife... |
Ashi raked her eyes over Shaldag, that giant Ogrunu who worked not only as the man who had put her in this useless position, but a father figure, and also one of her two saviors. Now, he looked like the only thing keeping him standing were the drugs consistently being pumped into him and the fact that those that he'd worked to save were currently fine (or, at least, as fine as they could be) and were going to make sure he made it. “It might be a good thing though, considering I wouldn't be able to help carry him...We only need him on his feet long enough to make it to the ship.” She bit her lip feeling her body once again lifted. She hoped that they wouldn't waste time getting to the pools. As it was, if they got found she wouldn't be able to help in the slightest save by maybe making herself not seen.
Tearing her eyes away from her agonized friend, Ashi then turned her attention to the woman that was carrying her, also taking a huge whiff of the air that almost smelled nice, at least in comparison. “Rosalind, the pilot, she uh... looked really tired the last time I saw her. I doubt they've taken off just yet...Let's just...hold out hope. There's more of a chance that they're here than that they aren't. Do you have a dataslate? I could ping one of them.” Her eyes, against her will, drifted back to Shaldag, now just a broken shell of a man, but one who was fighting for his life nonetheless. From there, she followed his eyes to the small cowboy hat, now sitting discarded alongside clothing that she recognized from earlier. Something between a gasp and a sob escaped her throat, realizing what it was. She never had the chance to get close to Toka, but having met her earlier, she'd been hoping to have a friend and a kind face to get to know in the gang. She could tell just from the little bit that they'd known each other that the two of them would have gotten along famously, and now she was dead. What could even kill her? She'd thought Toka was untouchable, being a person of the stars. Apparently the Edensians knew a way. It was then that something akin to anger and sorrow bubbled up in her gut. Why were the Edensians here anyway? Why were they at the club? The fucking Edensians weren't even after her. They were after the terrorist. She didn't see a single Daoweian in those tunnels. They were all Edensian. And they killed Toka. The most innocent person in that entire building, save for maybe Ashi herself. But even Ashi was looking to incite a war. They'd killed the one bit of true good that was in the entire gang. For no reason. And Ashi was angry about it. But she could do nothing. Not in the state she was in. |
"No shit. If he goes down, none of us are gonna be able to lug around a cybernetic Ogrunu, let alone a normal one. If we manage to make to the ship we can get a couple of people to hurl him into the tub, yeah." Hyun grunted, sweat starting to form and pool down her face as she stuck out her tongue and nearly tumbled herself when she stepped on an empty can. Turning back towards Shaldag, Hyun slowed down a little. If anything it was a meant for Shaldag. Probably would keep his fighting spirit up a little if he felt like he was continuing down at the same pace as them. "Fuck, I'm gonna need those healing pools for my back when this is over. Is this what pregnant bitches feel like, carrying around extra weight?" She said, forcing a sneer on her face as she tried to lighten up the mood.
The cold air made Shaldag shiver for a moment, the man's eye locked on the clothing of the remains of Toka, and the behemoth of a cyborg just kept trudging along. It all seemed so surreal. The best part of his miserable existance was gone; and there was nothing he could have done to save her. No there was something he could have done. He could have been there watching her instead of beating in Ashi for Hyun. More and more anger and helplessness gurgled in his wounded abdomen and for the briefest of seconds, a spark of pure, unbridaled hatred cast itself on the blue-haired girl and the Chuzizian. If they weren't so damned weak... Shaldag erased the thought from his mind, and used the burning in his veins to keep planting feet forward, Hyun oblivious to the spurt of rage that had developed from the large man while she conversed with Ashi. "Dataslate's in my coat. Shit. I wish I actually had the chance to get fully dressed. Starting to get cold, with only this thing on." Hyun grumbled, "Anyways, yeah. Left pocket. Ping them. Send it as an SOS if you need, to try and let them know what's going on. See if one of them can help drag our sorry asses into the ship, if they can spare it." Shaldag let out a deep, exasperated sigh for a moment, the man stopping once more as a shudden, sharp pain erupted from his body; the man looking down at the trail of intestine that began to peek out a little more from his wound; Shaldag narrowing his eye and using his only arm to shove the bit of viscera back into the cavity - A howl like a wounded animal escaping his throat, and one last tube of liquid near his neck plunging downwards into his neck. |
Ashi noticed the slower pace, but didn't mind. They weren't going to leave him behind, especially if the grenade didn't work and that thing was still alive. She wasn't able to see the scene of the crime, but she saw what that creature could do. Instead, she grabbed the dataslate with her one good hand, scanning through the contacts and pinged Rosalind.
Rosalind, meanwhile, had been dead asleep. She got a few hours, and already it had done wonders for her body. She had no time to marvel at how much a little bit of sleep could do, however, as her dataslate was screeching some emergency message at her. She rubbed her eyes, blinking for a moment at the small light that was now blinking red. She'd wired her dataslate to pick up distress signals from just about everywhere, if only because half of the time she followed a distress signal, she could get some sort of loot and cipher any fuel she could. At one point in her life, she would have been surprised at one of these distress signals coming from one of her contacts. It was Hyun. Or, to be more precise, it was the out breath princess who was parading around as Hyun's girlfriend, “We need your help. Please tell me you're still planetside.” “Ay, that we are,” a sleepy-sounding Rosalind murmured to the very relieved blue-haired one. “What is it that you're needin'?” “A fast retreat. We're making our way to the ship as we speak, two wounded, one may be critical. Just, have the doors open and be ready for a quick take off. If there's a cloaking mechanism, make sure you have that up and ready as well,” Ashi said, casting a worried glance at Shaldag. “That's all right and good, we'll be ready,” Rosalind said, hanging up to ensure that they were. She burst from her bedroom, making sure first to open the doors, “Ay! Anyone listenin'! Prepare for take off! Can I get a 'ead count?!” Fikri stopped what he was doing and came out to see a wide awake Rosalind already in the cockpit and firing up the engine. |
Atrix was the second one to rear her head into the cockpit; mandibles clicking in curiosity as the Terskix cocked her head at the sudden departure. The woman stood at ease for a moment, gnashing her teeth before grunting a small 'Here' so Rosalind would notice she was there. "We assumed you were going to be comatose for a lot longer of a time. I lost a bet now too." Atrix hummed morosely, one of her smaller arms itching her backside and then flicking a sliver of chitin onto the ground. A bad time for possible molting. "Is everything in order?"
Riola soon followed and gawked from behind Atrix, trying to see what was going on and frowning. Rosa didn't need to be up, but here she was. So much for a bit of a leave from all the commotion. "Dios mio. Do people not ever get a break when it comes to ferrying terrorists and mercs everywhere?" He said with a trite little grin, adjusting a few bangs of his hair before the Terskix looked behind her and narrowed her eyes. "If you intend to be this close to me, I'd prefer you wear some form of protection." "Huh?" Atrix snorted and gave the man a more...Riola-esque response. "I believe the term is, you're riding up my ass." Riola shot a grin back at her and shrugged. Before looking behind himself as well. "Wouldn't dream of it, Atrix. That's Mendez's job now. Don't hit me, Aranea." The two however shot their bewildered glances over towards Rosalind, silent and waiting for any sort of answer from the Pyra however, and then whispering to each other about what might be sparking this whole immediate departure. -=-=-=-=-=-=- Hyun listened to the prattle between Ashi and Rosalind, and offered a small thanks to whatever-fucking-deity decided to give them an ounce of reprieve, the Chuzizian turning the corner. it was only a quarter of a block away from where she had left the ship Rosalind had given her, and everything seemed to finally be in the clear. "Holy shit we're alive at least. Fuckin' remind me to give Rosalind a fuckin' kiss the moment we're safe." Hyun groaned. Shaldag was using the walls of buildings to keep himself up, the Ogrunu's vision blurring as drool splattered onto his mangled chest; Shaldag's legs buckling with each inch taken. It was purely drugs and stimulants keeping him going now. The moment they decided to wear off on his massive frame, he was done for. |
Rosalind did a quick head count and upon seeing the two freed slaves and Mendez pop their heads out of the kitchen Rosalind spoke, “To answer your questions, emergency evacuation, Hyun, Ashi, Shaldag. Watch for the wounded, if we have an empty bedroom, I want it converted to a medbay immediately. Do I have volunteers?”[/b]
At this point, Magali looked over to Nokra, then to Rosalind before timidly raising her hand. Rosalind nodded at her, “What can you do?” “I know...basic...first aid, but I can work on converting that room,” here, Magali pointed at a room that was currently unoccupied, “into a medbay.” “Very well. We'll take it. Fikri! Get my back in the cockpit! Everyone else, make sure that they have a clear path. I'll be in the cockpit ready to take off. Yell at me when we have everyone aboard!” With that, Rosalind did as she said she was going to do and moved her happy little ass over to the cockpit, wishing that she could have at least had time for a cup of coffee. Magali, too, did as she said she was going to, setting out three cots as she wasn't sure how many of them were injured. Fikri turned and looked at Nokra, “If you're going to ask to learn to pilot, now's your chance. Seeing the old crew on the Odyssey, Ashi breathed a sigh of relief, that sigh deepening when she saw the doors of the ship closing immediately behind them, and Rosalind taking off. Magali almost fainted when she saw how bad they were. “Lay them down on the cots, please. I'm going to try to stop the bleeding where I can. Miss, you'll forgive me for giving all my attention to the Sir, I trust?” “Oh, by all means! Please do! I can't... I can't lose him, and neither can Hyun...” |
Atrix clicked her mandibles a few times and reached to her side to pull out a small (To the Terskix) pistol and moved towards the doors. If it was going to be an emergency situation on the ship, there was a chance to sate a little bit of bloodlust, something that was beginning to start overwhelming her. Sure being recently fed was helping, but severing the limbs of someone who was helpless was not a fight that she had been craving. Hissing a small acknowledgement to Rosalind in her own language, Atrix moved towards the doors to wait for the trio to arrive.
Riola shadowed Magali in the meantime, helping the Felis with setting up the room into a makeshift medbay, and looking towards her. "No real medic or anything myself, but two people wrapping others in bandages and shit is better than nothing." He said with a bit of cheer in his voice. "Besides. Had to learn to do the basics when you're making bombs. Had to sew a finger back on once. Dios mio, that wasn't pleasant." Nokra, seeing everyone move and getting the initial push from Fikri swallowed a bit and paced in a circle, psyching himself up for the push into the cockpit; the male felis creeping in for a second and taking a seat near one of the consoles - keeping sure not to press anything as Rosalind made herself situated, Nokra spoke up. "Uhh...'Scuse me. Rosa? Probably not the best time, but Fikri told me to ask you. I got uh...Interest in learning how to pilot things. Would you mind me helping out? I don't know much, but I can at least point out when something is wrong." It took quite an effort from Hyun and Atrix to get Shaldag onto a cot when they group had come in; Atrix looking at both the princess and the Ogrunu for a moment, and then shooting a glance towards Hyun. "I'm surprised you kept them along in their condition. I would have eaten them." Hyun looked towards the Terskix and narrowed her eyes. "Hey, fuck you, you eight-limbed bitch. I have a fuckin' heart, unlike you." Atrix ignored the slight for a moment and snarled, shoving her way back to her own room. As Magali worked on Shaldag, Riola moved over towards Ashi, and began to examine her himself; his usual look of disgust for the noble replaced with just the look of someone trying to do his job; the Edensian pulling a small flashlight from his pocket and shining it in each eye to make sure they'd dilate. "You all look like you went through Hell to get here, reinita." He said casually. "I guess your parents are looking for you." Hyun leaned against the wall of the room and crossed her arms for a moment, eyes locked on Shaldag as the massive man was being treated. Not a lot the cat could probably do for him at the moment. "Edensians happened. Probably looking for you. I should fuckin' kneecap you for what happened. Everyone is fuckin' dead, and it's probably because of you." |
Mendez, as expected, took his place beside Atrix, drawing his own pistol for the first time. Rosalind's words did not bode well. Two injured? Ashi was to be expected; when they left, she was about to begin her beat in. But there was another? They were also wanting to make a quick getaway, leading him to believe that something attacked. |
Riola, seemingly satisfied with the fact Ashi's brains didn't seem to be bashed in, moved on to her leg, and frowned for a moment. There was nothing he could really do except maybe set the bone back, and even then, he had only done that a few times, the Edensian sucking his cheek for a second and frowning at the Daoweian. "Ay. So uh, your leg. I can try and set it back for you, chica. The issue is it's gonna hurt. Like, muy mal. We can leave it alone, but infection's gonna set in." He warned, giving her a cautious look. "And it's your call." Riola was hoping for the latter. If only because he had heard the sounds of bone being moved, and it made him shudder on the inside.
Nokra looked back at Fikri for a moment, and offered a sheepish smile towards the male Felis. Despite how much Nokra wanted to throttle Fikri in his sleep, the guy was at least not trying to sabotage him. Though he was still assured in his own mind the male was gunning for Magali. In the cockpit however, Nokra's nerves began to get the better of him, though he kept a trained eye on Rosalind's movements in the ships, watching each press of a button, each move of a toggle, and feeling what it did to the ship. "What's the biggest thing to remember, in general?" He asked, quirking a brow and then looking back towards Fikri, before offering him a small, polite wave; his way of silently admitting thanks. Outside of the medbay, Atrix was stewing for a moment, the Terskix looking towards the gun in her hand, and then looking back towards the room; mandibles clicking and the urge getting the most from her base instincts. She didn't have any sort of urge to pull the trigger on the Daoweian or the half-dead one she lugged in, but the Chuzizian? She'd empty the thing's entire clip into her. Letting out an agitated sigh, the Terskix holstered her pistol for now and took a small walk to try and calm herself, watching Fikri pass by into the kitchen for a moment, and then deciding on stalking him. If only out of curiosity in what he was doing. "So all of this was you getting your shit kicked in? Damn, someone wanted to be friends desperately." Riola said with a small laugh, before Hyun's comment warped his face into something a bit more furious. Standing up, Riola looked towards Hyun, before grabbing her by the head-tendrils and tossing her down into the ground, before snarling at her. "Maybe it's the fact you're a fucking criminal, your fucking pendeja." he spat out, Hyun looking up at him with seething eyes. Her hand reached into her coat, but before she could pull anything out a foot was slammed onto her arm; Riola shaking his head. "You pull out anything other than smokes, food, or something to drink, and I'll make sure Rosalind vents you all out of the luck. Comprende?" "Fuck you, Gemhead." "Yeah, I know. I'm fuckin- What thing." Riola stopped and shot a look over towards Ashi, darting over to her and giving her a deapan serious look. "Thing. Edensians. The fucker have no features? Pale? Didn't fucking die?" |
Ashi gulped, finally looking down at her leg and cringing seeing the full effect the metal fists had caused on her leg. A quick glance at her arm told her that the same story was probably true for that appendage as well, and she wasn't looking forward to it, but she nodded, pressing her lips together in a tight line, “I think.... I'd rather not lose my leg to infection. Best to do it now while I still have the little bit of drugs in my veins.” She gulped once more and repeated her nod more to convince herself than the male Edensian, finally mustering a not-quite convincing laugh seeing his paling face, “Look at it this way; you'll get to cause me pain and it will be completely warranted.” |
Riola shook his head and looked around to find something suitable to help the princess set her leg, settling on a set of pieces of rebar. Not exactly sterile, but they were just going to have to make do. "I don't care to see anyone hurt, hermana. I just wanted shit to change for my people. They're the ones who turned it all into...This kinda shit." he said bitterly, gesturing towards Hyun and Shaldag, before placing one of the bars against her leg, and moving the other towards the other side. "Whatever drugs you got in you now, once they wear off. This isn't gonna be a walk in the park, reina. Wherever you need to go to fix this, I'll see about getting Rosa to ship us there pronto, si?" He offered, before taking hold of Ashi's leg, and twisting; working the bone back in place until it was set, and then tying the two bits of rebar into a makeshift splint.
Nokra was like a little kitten staring into the inky, glittery abyss of space; eyes wide as he tried to bounce both keeping an eye on Rosalind as she began to pilot, and take in the majesty of the sea of stars they were now sailing in. It was a complete mystery where they were going now, but the more time out in space was more time that he could spend learning. "Keep a clear head. Gotcha ma'am." Nokra repeated, sniffling for a minute and kicking his legs like a youngling as he drifted his attention towards the Pyra. "I wanna pilot things more than anything. And I'll..I'll suck it up and work with Fikri if that is needed." Nokra said spitting out his tongue before swiveling a bit in his chair. "When do you think I can like, get my own little ship and fly? Is it gonna take a long time?" Atrix looked at the Felis for a moment, cocking her head to the side and clicking her mandibles for a moment. "I've never had coffee." She admitted, crossing her arms for a moment and looking at the brewing machine, looking with a bit of revulsion at the brown liquid settling at the bottom, and then pointing to it; a chitinous finger tapping on the glass of the pot. "It looks like dirty water. Why would someone drink this?" She asked, taking a deep breath and then peering over towards Fikri and flashing him a small, evil smile. "Would you object to me eating the pink-colored woman? I do not like her. At all." She cooed, wriggling her other fingers and then bringing up a small arm to polish her teeth. "I feel like I could get away with it." Hyun subdued still, and the presence of the faceless thing confirmed; Riola sighed for a moment, and leaned against a wall for a moment; finally bursting into a small fit of chuckling. "Wow, you must have done something to really piss them off to send that thing after you. Heard the Queen had someone like that. Thing wouldn't die. Can't die. Does a lot of dirty work. What exactly did you do to earn that kinda thing slithering your way?" Riola muttered, looking over towards Shaldag. "Least you all got out a live. Not a lot of people can say that." |
First it was the sound that did it. The grinding of Ashi's bones, audible even through her flesh sent a chill down her spine and she wanted to squirm away, knowing full well this was for her better good. Then, came the actual setting. Riola's hands worked deftly, like he'd done this type of procedure many times before, and Ashi had no doubt in her mind that the Edensian knew what he was doing. But, that wouldn't make the pain any easier. The drugs might, but even then-- She couldn't help it; she screamed. The drugs seemed to do literally nothing for her as the pain washed over her in waves. Her teeth dug into her lower lip so hard that she could have sworn flesh would break.
Chest heaving, the princess sighed, her back flopping against the backboard of the bed she was propped up on. She mustered a smile, however strained it looked and nodded to her arm, “Would you...would you mind setting that as well? Add it to the debt I owe you for resetting my leg.” She swallowed, willing her eyes to the newly reset leg. Already the thing looked leaps and bounds better, now straightened to the direction it was supposed to be. She took a deep, shaky breath closing her eyes and leaned her head back. “I really do owe you. What do you say to starting anew? Friends?” Rosalind couldn't help but smile despite the circumstances. Sure, they had the best men (and women) after them from two different kingdoms, two on her ship were injured, one was critical, and their next destination would be only too obvious, but for the moment she was drinking in another person's first time seeing space from space. It was a sight that she'd always feared that she'd take for granted, but the pyra never tired of it. The other side of mechanics, the side that didn't involve grease and pocket wrenches, was one of stars, planets...the galaxy in its entirety was theirs for the taking, and Nokra was beginning to see it now. Beaming, Rosalind spun in her chair to face the felis. “Keep that in mind, an' ye can pick the rest up as we go, aye?” She tossed her head in the direction of the window, “Ye become a pilot, an' ye'll get used t'the sights, but if yer truly made fer it, ye'll never tire of it.” Rosalind leaned back in the seat, still gazing at the sight that Nokra was just drinking in. “As far as 'ow long et'll be? Et depends. Are ye a fast learner? Ah'll teach ye all that ye need t'know, an' pay ye t'boot, but 'ow long that takes is solely up t'ye. S'far as prices on ships go, well, that depends on th'model. Some are more expensive than others.” Rosalind stopped speaking for a moment, her smile fading not out of discontent, but out of seriousness as she turned her eyes back to the felis. “Ah've got a ship that we left 'hind on Hazoo. If the Edensians left et in one piece, ye can 'ave it in lieu of payment. Unless ye sail the skies with us as the makin's of a small fleet.” She pressed her lips together and sighed, “But, ah should warn ye; ours es not an easy path. Not anymore. You bein' freed from slavery...by us...might not'a been the best move on Fikri's part. Ye sorta got thrown from the fryin' pan into th'fire, so to speak. We're wanted, by not only Edensia, but also Daowei. So far, et seems only the Edensians 'ave made a move, but the two could be workin' together. We're not safe, but ah'll teach ye 'ow t'be as safe as ye can be while yer 'ere. If ye want us t'drop ye off when we land next, jest say the word.” Fikri could do little more than blink at Atrix in disbelief, “Wait. You're serious?” Fikri retrieved three mugs from the cabinet and set them down on the pot which he now grabbed. “I'll tell you what. I'll pour two mugs, one for me, and one for Rosalind. You can try a bit from my mug and if you like it, you can just have that.” He chuckled with the comment of dirty water, pouring two cups worth, lifting his to his nose, ears pressing back against his head with a sigh of contentment, “It's made from a ground up Earthen bean. Run hot water through a filter that has these ground up beans, and you get coffee. Humans started drinking it because they liked how it made them feel and it spread out to other species. Just give it a shot; you might like it.” The felis offered Atrix a sort of lopsided smile, his tail flicking with anticipation. “It's bitter. Like those of left on this ship. I think it's suitable—at least for me anyway. Though Rosie seems to like the stuff too. As far as eating her? I doubt Rosie would appreciate it much. The pink-skinned lady got us this ship. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm right there with you. I'll pass on eating her though.” Fikri added, chuckling. “That's the thing. I haven't done anything yet. Sending something so outrageous seems unlike my father. But then again, it was Edensians that we saw,” Ashi murmured, leaned back completely now and still recovering from her leg setting with a grimace clearly on her face. “Though I could have sworn I heard daweigos...” |
Riola flinched and cringed rather visibly when that scream echoed in the makeshift medbay of the ship - He didn't like hearing people in pain in the slightest, even the people he didn't seem to have a care for. No one in this world needed to feel something so excruciating and Panicking for a second, Riola fumbled through a medkit (Assuming they have one. Probably.) And fumbled for some small pain relievers. They were most likely meant for headaches, but anything he could probably offer her would at least take a small edge off of the pain.
"We should uh...Probably give you a moment. Set too much and you're gonna be a in a lot of pain, chica. Take a breather, let the leg pain subside first." Riola said with a shrug of his shoulder, and frowning at her mangled arm. That thing looked beyond just being set and fixed. "Is that arm even broken in just one place? It looks beyond ruined. And if it's more than one break, I'd probably just do more harm than good." He added, before looking at her last request and taking a breath. "....Ai, fine. Deal. Start anew, si , si. Just, let's focus more on just keeping you and Shaldag alive first. Business, then we can grab a beer and laugh at the world." "You were seen with us. That's as good of a reason as any, Ashi." Riola laughed, giving her a 'Sorry, not sorry' sort of glance and then beaming at her. "Oh yeah. You got Edensians on you? They're gonna send the worst of the worst kind of people after you, with all sorts of promises. Send their criminals with amnesty as a reward. Heard of hiring Terskix and feeding them said prisoners as well. I think one mercenary group got awarded two warships once for bringing down a cartel." Riola cocked his head to the side. "Never heard of Daweigos. Is that a thing from your world?" Nokra was silent for a couple of seconds as he lost himself again in the void of space, before he blinked a few times and then swiveled back into Rosalind's gaze - For the first time the male Felis beaming and smiling like someone his age should have been doing. "I'm ready to just make a bed in the cockpit. I wanna look at all the stars all day. I have to bring Mags in here too so she can see them." He murmured. And see me piloting the ship. "I kind of had to be a fast learner as a slave. Being a pit fighter doesn't leave a lot of room for error. Least I know you can rely on me if it comes to using my reflexes to fly something ma'am." Nokra said, perking a brow and twitching an ear. "Pay? I...Never really got paid before. You don't need to give me much. Just enough to make sure I can at least buy food and some things for a room on board for now." Nokra shook his head at taking her old ship. "No offense, but if someone who is in trouble was flying that, I don't need to take it. They'll think I'm you or something." Then it came to light, Nokra's eyes going wide for a moment. Freed and now in the presence of criminals. Apparently big-time criminals if two different worldly governments were hunting them down this extensively. He looked at the entry to the cockpit and envisioned himself and Magali back in shackles. Locked in seperate cells in prisons, and shuddered - Nokra bringing up a hand to bite at his nails. "...No. No, I uh. I owe Fikri for saving me. And you're the only chance I have to learn how to fly. No one is gonna take me seriously anywhere else." He admitted, wrinkling his nose. "I just can't promise how far I'm willing to go with you all. I have...Well, I gotta look after Mags. I like her." Atrix looked at the mug of coffee with a venomous look, and clicked her mandibles once, before taking a sip; Atrix smacking her lips for a second, before her face slowly contorted, and she handed the mug of coffee back to Fikri; the Terskix rushing towards the sink and sticking her head under the faucet to lap up water, and then spit it out. "Humans enjoy drinking terrible tasting things. That was not fun." She grumbled. her foot however, began tapping rather quickly and she locked all her eyes on the Felis. "What Rosalind doesn't know won't hurt her. We can make up a story or something. That's what I had planned when I was thinking of eating you. You were going to have an accident while you were cleaning the engine room." She said, a tinge of sheepishness on her voice. "I tried my best, but no avail. It would explain the blood everywhere." |
Ashi leaned her head back, squeezing her eyes shut ashamed of the fact that she couldn't keep her chest from heaving. The waves still rolled through her body starting at the break in her leg rippling up through her core, to the top of her head, into her fingernails and at the base of her hair follicles. It hurt like a...like a bitch. But she tried to hide this. Aside from the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes with the resetting, she didn't cry. She screamed, yes, but she felt she probably would have died had she not. “Y-yeah, I agree...Just, just so long as we're not enemies...” she mustered, somewhat labored, but Riola's comment drew her attention again back to her arm. Bad enough that it couldn't be set. It wasn't a good sign, and seeing it made her want to cry out again, but she didn't, turning instead to Shaldag who the other felis was doing her utter best to repair.
Mendez was at her side, utilizing what little bit of first aid he could, and for once he seemed to find himself without words. Aside from that blue woman who actually didn't survive her wounds, this was the worst Mendez had seen for a very long time. “I don't know what else we can do for him, chica,” Mendez said, wiping his brow with his forearm. The two of them together managed to bandage up the parts that were bleeding the worst, but in some spots his innards were still visible. It was on these parts the felis was focusing with a bandage, wishing she could get underneath to wrap the bandages around his torso, relying instead heavily relying on medical tape. “Do you know how far it is to a medical facility?” Magali half-whispered, half-croaked. Unlike Mendez, she'd never seen this amount of gore, and certainly had never had a hand in attempting to clean it up. She was amazed that this man had even lasted this long. His role in this world was not yet complete, she'd decided; he was pushing much too hard for life for them to allow his life to slip through her fingers like this. “We need to get him soon or...or...” “I know, amiga, just keep the blood from coming out, cover his innards to protect from infection, and just pray. Hold on, Shal. We're fighting for you,” Mendez said, his green eyes searching for some sign of hope, the only hope seeming to come from the injured's rising chest. He was still breathing. As long as he drew breath, he would be fine. He would make it. Ashi gulped. They were doing what they could for him, and Ashi, again, found herself unable to do anything. Any more people around his bed, however, and they would be getting into each other's way. She looked to Hyun, hoping for some sort of reassurance, but that reassurance would only be found, no, could only be found when they landed at a medical facility where she would demand that Shaldag get priority. “Why the Edensians, though? Why do they want me? Why is that thing in cahoots with my father? And how did they know we were at the club?” So many questions went through her mind. She was supposed to be getting her tattoos, to become officially part of the gang—with both Hyun and Shaldag. She was supposed to live happily ever after with her own little makeshift family. “Ye may 'ave ta,” Rosalind said chuckling. “Et's not uncommon among pilots t'sleep in th'cockpit. For many of us, et's th'most comfortin' spot on the ship.” She left her chair facing him, drawing her knees up to her chest. If one were to step into the cockpit just then unnoticed, they'd see a sight that they would never want to erase from their memories. A vetted pilot sat in her most relaxed position, one that would allow her knees to be a pillow if need be, but eyes focused on the apprentice before her. The pale light from the various screens and buttons would emit a bluish white glow on their features. The more experienced of the two bearing the common signs of most of the galaxies great pilots, wild red hair gushing down her shoulders, low hanging ears, the horns that curled around her ears, too, would be glowing softly, reflecting the light of the screens, the stars as their backdrop. The felis would have the classic signs of someone who had just been handed the wheel. Eyes, scared but excited, in awe, and possessing a certain knowledge that like the pyra before him, he too would take possession of the skies. “So ye like the girl in ways besides friends, eh? Watch out for that shit. It makes ye do things outta character,” she laughed, though there was no bitterness whatsoever to be had in it, “Ye think ah'd be in this mess if it weren't for Riola? 'E's in their eyes a terrorist. Ah'd say 'e's a freedom fighter. 'Fore 'im...ah kept my 'ead down. Never got into any trouble whatever. Ah'd dip out at the first signs. Does this make me a coward? Maybe, but it made me a living coward, one with a steady, reliable job. Was jes' me an' Fiks b'fore, an' it 'twas easy. Nice. Soft. All that's gone now, an' all in the name of love,” she moved her legs down again and leaned forward, a wry smile on her lips, knowing exactly how it was that the felis felt, “Ye know the best part of it all? Ah'd do it all again in th'name of love. An' ye would too, if ye actually do love 'er. Not sayin' ye 'ave t'fight t'prove it. On the contrary. Ye can run, the second ye can, with 'er, an' ye'll be able t'live. Ah won't stop ye. An' dun worry about the pay, ah'll make sure yer good an' covered.” Fikri laughed, taking the mug back, “It's...I would say, an acquired taste.” He took a whiff of the beverage before taking his own swig of it with a contented sigh, “Rosa was addicted by the time I got onboard, and, well, the rest is history. She made me a coffee drinker.” His tail switched back and forth, back and forth as he picked up the other mugs, balancing them on his fingers. “Something tells me she'll put two and two together. She's too clever for that. But what did Hyun do to you to make you decide to hate her?” Fikri wasn't meaning to sound accusing, but he was more curious than anything. For that matter, he didn't understand why she'd singled him out initially, or why she was making friendly moves now. He wouldn't complain; if he could make a friend out of Atrix, he was going to, and chose rather consciously to not take an offense to her rather blatant confession of his own plotted murder. |
Riola looked around. Any sort of thing to try and keep the girl from focusing on the pain of her leg being reset. The Edensian fumbled through his pockets, before pulling out a small package of cigarettes; the man opening it up and sighing. Only one left. Taking a breath and cursing this newly founded friendship for a moment - Riola chuckled to himself and pulled the little cancer-stick from its package, offering it out to Ashi. "Peace offering, chica. It's not painkillers, but it's something to do other than lay here and worrying about your arm. Speaking of, I'll have to make sure Rosa is gunning it towards the medical facilities. Need you both up as soon as possible. Don't wanna bury more people over Edensian politics." He said with a sudden grim demeanor and a bit of salt in his voice. "Sick of running from them too. I wanna get them back...For everything that's happened so far."
Shaldag was looking worse and worse with each passing moment. The monstrous man was still awake, which was a good sign, but what skin could be seen from him was growing colder and paler with each drip of lost blood. The Ogrunu however seemed focused on staying awake and watching the Felis and Mendez work on him; Any looks towards him met with a burning, ravenous look in his one good eye. There was an anger that was more than present in the mammoth of a man, and gripping onto Toka's cloth remains, slowly inched his arm towards the bandana, holding it out towards Magali, and then sticking is finger into his own wound, pulling out the stained digit and writing on the bit of cot that he wasn't occupying: 'Tie this to arm' Shaldag's attention drifted over towards Mendez and the Ogrunu let out a deep wheeze, before lifting the same hand to imitate drinking water, then waving his hand around his torn apart mouth. Speaking was out of the question, but the warm air was beginning to dry out his gums and only made him ever more uncomfortable. Still utilizing his gore-soaked finger, Shaldag took a deep, purposeful breath and wrote again, this time on the other side of the cot for Mendez to see. 'Gotta live. Make Edensians Pay. My Toka.' Hyun was back on her feet and kept herself silent, keeping her eyes fixed on Shaldag. Adjusting her coat, the Chuzizian buttoned it shut and sniffled for a moment, pulling on her tendrils and letting out an agitated noise. "Whatever the fuckin' reason, we're gonna find out, Ashi, don't you worry." She finally spoke up; her tone to-the-point and stern. "We're gonna slaughter the cunt that ruined that club. We're gonna make sure the thing that nearly killed Shaldag is frying in some sort of hell he can't get out of. Fuck. I've never been jumped like that. I've always bounced back. This isn't fuckin' fair..." "Be glad you're all out alive at least. Not many people can say they've escaped a military." Riola offered outloud, only to be returned with a snort from Hyun-chu. "Started when we met you, red-headed shit bag." Riola took a breath and chose to ignore Hyun, instead kicking at the ground and then wrinkling his face. "Then fuck off the next chance you get, Hyun. I ain't telling you to stay, dios mio, fucking puta pendeja..." "Well, you have the prettiest room available. Not sure I've even been in a place with a window and stars to glance at, even in the most lavish of owner's quarters." Nokra murmured; his eyes reflecting both the LED glow of the panels and systems of the ship, but also the glittery specks that blossomed out from the oblivion of black that covered the outside. Everything about this felt, nearly perfect. The low hum of the engines was enough for Nokra to sprawl out in his own chair; the Felis becoming more like a pancake of hair and ears slapped into the seat - Nokra's ears wilting while he let out a slow, soft exhale. His eyes slowly moved from the stars towards the fiery plume of hair, that seemed to erupt with horns he just noticed. "Whoa. Sorry, uh. Didn't notice you were a Pyra. Sorry again. Not exactly. Well. Never seen one of you up close before." Nokra stuttered, swishing his leg and letting it dangle like a dead limb. "Would it be weird If I wanted to touch one of your horns? Are they super hard or soft?" "Well uh...It's complicated! I mean, I like her like a more-than friend and such. But at the same time we're really close and it's kinda like family. I don't know." Nokra said with a huff, crossing his arms before throwing them up in the air. "What am I trying to kid...Yeah. I dig her a lot. I mean, I kinda don't know how she feels about me myself in that regard, but if it's the same...I would never say no. I'd probably go back into the fighting pits to make sure she was okay and set for life if I had to...Aw shit, I'm rambling again." Exhaling loud enough to reverberate around the cockpit, Nokra itched his forehead and then puffed out his cheeks, the air escaping his lips in a raspberry. "All in all? It's up to her. Explain the situation to Magali when she's alone, and let her decide. I don't wanna coerce her but...If you need someone else to join. I'd do it. I don't...Really have a purpose now. At least being a slave meant I know what was gonna happen, day-today..." "I say the same thing about humans, but that still puts people off from trying them." Atrix said plainly, hugging herself with her lower arms while she yawned and stretched out with her upper limbs. Chitin creaked and the Terskix's mandibles writhed and clicked while she bellowed out her yawn, sounding something more predatory than normal, before she slumped back down into her normal gait. "I'd just have to try my hardest not to get caught then. If I was going to do it. Maybe. Possibly. Things are not easy to deal with when you're not in the Empire." Atrix grunted, before brushing a lock of hair from her face. "She is rude. And doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'I will eat her if she keeps talking like she does.' I know her kind regenerate. She'd feed me for a long time if we chained her up." Atrix took a deep breath however and shook her head. "It's also a...Species thing. I don't know what it is. Some people just...Trigger the caste's urges. To rip. Maim. Tear. Kill the enemie of our people. Some people do not trigger that response. It's rare that they don't. Mendez does not trigger that response. The rest of you do." |
Ashi was leaning back now, eyes set on a spot in the ceiling. It was better than seeing it at any rate; associated the mangled appendage as her former arm was almost too much. She had to focus on the positives. She was alive and going to make it. Her limbs were only remnants of their former selves, but her inner core was fine. Her head was fine. She realized her breathing was too ragged and tried to calm it, channel it into deep, steady, controlled breaths. This helped, however much it could. The drugs were wearing off fast, as if the resetting suddenly reminded her body of exactly how much damage it'd taken—the drugs now meaningless. Breathe in. Out now. In again. She could hear Riola talking to her in the background, more for her benefit than anything, grounding her to consciousness and her giving a response would only work to further cement her there.
The princess looked down at the extended cigarette, and offered a meek smile, extending her good hand to take it, “Thanks. I've...never smoked before. It's a new experience for me. Does it actually help? With ah...taking one's mind off the pain I mean? I'll take anything at this point.” Magali was pale, sweat beading at her brow. Had Shaldag faced a different adversary, something that caused clean cuts, she would have been able to pinpoint exactly where the blood was coming from. Instead, his skin peeled away in large scrapes, deeper in places than others, but blood was everywhere. Regardless, she stayed focused, determined on keeping this life in this world. Had she been anyone else, second thoughts may have been had. After all, he was the right hand man in the club that she'd been pimped out of for as long as she could remember. Now, here he was before her, life literally in her hands. But, it was indeed Magali, and she was done with the tragedy. She was going to see to it that he lived. Briefly, she saw his hand moving, writing with his own blood. 'Tie this to arm,' the blood spelled, and Magali moved her hands, dams that were keeping back rivers of blood, long enough to tie the piece of fabric to his arm, immediately resuming her duties. She said nothing, save for the occasional “Apply more pressure here” or “I've got this part, bandage that—tightly, tightly.” Mendez and Magali made a great team, despite the circumstances. They'd never worked together before, but following Magali's orders, they'd managed to slow the raging rivers down to merely steady ones, both trying their best to keep the remained of his blood in. They had the benefit of his machinery though. Machinery didn't bleed. It was his core that they were focusing the hardest on, and things were looking grim. It was Mendez's turn to see the crimson writing, and he briefly made contact with Shaldag's one good eye as he realized exactly what he was saying. That glowing chica, the nice one that he (and everyone else) immediately took a liking to...was dead. He swallowed, pressing his lips in a tight line, “We'll make them pay. We'll get them back, and you're gonna live to see it through. Just stay conscious. Maybe focus on the sound of my voice.” Rosalind looked at Nokra for a moment, realizing that this was probably one of those moments in the felis's life that he would never forget. Hell, Rosalind had grown up working on ships and she still couldn't forget her first time laying eyes on the stars from space. She could remember how her heart had caught in her throat, taking her breath away just long enough for her to have to force air back into her lungs. Not in hyperspace, the stars seemed to dance by, as if standing in a snow globe. The shape of distant galaxies formed just beyond the dancing shapes. This awe was normal for her. This feeling of tininess was normal for her. They were gnats compared to the glory of space, less than gnats even. Bacterium, maybe. “Well, now ye can say ye've not only been'n space, ye've seen it too. Soon ye'll be comandin' it. Et's a feelin' ye never tire of once ye've got the bug.” She smiled. “What've ye got t'be sorry for?” Rosalind asked, tilting her head only to melt into a smile when she realized she herself was something new to him, “Well, pyra unless they get a job somewhere typically stay on Drypso 38. We're an industrial lot. Some of us get out there, 'ead out, become transports an' nomades or the like. Once we leave though, we rarely settle. Ah can see why ye've never seen any of us. Not the type t'be makin' use of slaves, considerin' we're a lot prone t'hard work.” She gave a rap with her knuckle on one of her horns, it answering with a hollow clunk, clunk, clunk. “They're 'ard. Ye can touch if ye like. The females of our planet get 'em too, unlike our Goim cousins, but they dun get off their planet at all.” Rosalind chuckled, shifting to a cross legged position and resting her head on laced fingers propped up by elbows on the knee, “Ye know ah'm a lady. Ah could ask 'er for ye. She probl'y could use some more feminine friendships, right? An' the princess es rather occupied bein' injured an' all. Ah could see if she feels the same. If ye want, ah can also give 'er the same spheel ah gave ye about the danger we're in.” “Killing people isn't necessarily my forte, so I'm sorry I can't help in any other way than to keep my mouth shut,” Fikri said with an honest shrug. He still wasn't particularly fond of the pink woman, so it would be all the same to him should Atrix choose to feed on her, but as long as she was on this ship, it wasn't looking like she'd be able to get away with it. Hyun and Rosalind had a very beneficial, albeit monetary, friendship. It was better for Rosa that she lived, which therefore should mean that it was better for Fikri. But the woman gave him a sour taste in his mouth, and he had other things to worry about than trying to protect her. “Look, I won't get in your way, but I don't think chaining her up is gonna work so long as you're on this ship. If you do do anything to her, I recommend it happen off ship. Just... Rosa's dealing with enough right now.” Fikri bit his lip, “You're not with the Empire, no. But if you stick around, you'll get more than your fair share of bloodshed. Unfortunately, most likely from both sides. I'm going to treat you as I'm treated. Stay out of your way if you want me to. I'll try not to trigger it as best to my ability, but I do understand.” Fikri's tail swished back and forth, “I'm going to deliver the coffee now before it gets cold, you can come with me if you'd like or I can come back if you still need to vent about something.” |
Riola kept his sights trained on the woman's broken arm for a second, only closing his hand with the cigarette in it once he felt her pluck away the little bit of nicotine. Whatever hospital they were going to was going to be something high-end, that was all he knew. No backalley doctor was able to fix the damage the two they had, and the ones that were able to weren't too keen on aftercare, from what he had experiences with. Ashi seemed to be on the verge of falling into the black, quiet spells of unconsiousness and the Edensian was more than keen on letting her broken, battered self drift off into sleep - His fixation on her ravaged arm dispelled when she spoke to him; The grim reality of the makeshift medbay coming back into focus. He didn't notice the pool of red around both Ashi's cot, and the puddles of crimson that were forming into a lake around Shaldag. The reality sank in more.
Riola shrugged a shoulder slowly, before bringing up the hand that was holding the cigarette into his hair; the Edensian tugging on his braids while he chuckled nervously. "I can't say for certain. I've always used them to dull the senses. Took the edge off of burns and such when I was making bombs, chica." Rolling up his shirt-sleeve, Riola pointed out a few bits of scars; the light pink tissue a stark contrast to his pale skin. "Look at this way. If you've never smoked anything before, the first initial hit will take your mind off of a lot of things. Either nicotine sets in, or your coughing fits'll distract you from your arm." Shaldag could feel each hand that was working on him. Each hand that put pressure on his hand made a bit of blood gargle upwards towards his throat; the Ogrunu doing his best to keep it down, though a few dribbles managed to leak out; drool and the red liquid creeping down his neck and staining his skin. His teeth were a few shades of scarlett as well, though the massive man's breathing relaxed momentarily while the bandana was wrapped around his metal arm. Taking in a deep, heaving breath Shaldag raised his good arm again and wriggled metallic fingers; using very bit of brain power so the shadows creeping in the corners of his eyes wouldn't overtake his vision. He couldn't speak. Or even summon the trite bit of energy to try and sign to the two, and helplessness was beginning to seep into his mind. He hated every microsecond of it. He should be up and about, making sure the people on this ship weren't going to try anything on his friends. Well...They were less like friends at this moment. Hyun had been something more akin to a sibling. And well...Shaldag spilled blood with Ashi. By all rights he could call her 'Sister' at this rate. Listening to Mendez, the Ogrunu craned his neck to the sound of his voice; Eye dilating and refocusing slowly while he took in the blurred sight of the man; Bright red hair making the Ogrunu's brow furrow. It was the accent and the bit of Edensian that made Shaldag's arm shoot out like a rocket; metallic digits grappling and closing around the man's throat while a snarl escaped his mangled mouth; blood spackling his outstretched limb and chest. A few seconds later, and sharp pain wracked through his system, the Ogrunu releasing Mendez as quickly as he lashed out - Shaldag forming a deep bellow-turned sobbing as he closed his eye and slammed his fist onto the cot. It was all a horrid dream. He was going to wake up and Toka was going to ask him to see the same Cowboy movies again and again... Hyun rushed over towards Magali and Mendez, placing a hand on Mendez and looking at him to make sure he was okay, before furrowing her brow and sighing deeply; the Chuzizian's head tendrils swaying as she shook her head slowly and deliberately. "Yo, you two. You've done as much shit as you can. Give yourselves a fuckin' break or something. I'll keep an eye on Shal." Hyun commanded, crossing her arms and tapping her foot at the duo. She was gonna give them about five seconds to just do what she had said, or the second time of her asking was going to be with something she could bludgeon the two with. Nokra continued to sit, gawking at just...Everything. Suddenly the world he had known seemed so finite, it was hard to even try and grasp. He had been in collosseums that housed entire cities, listening to the roar of bloodthirsty patrons who wanted to see either him, or the beast he was hunting in the spasms of death throes. Nokra chuckled for a second. The adrenline rush he felt just glancing at the serene beauty of Space...It was a different feeling than the rush when you swung a weapon. It was peaceful. A jolt that was warming and welcoming rather than terrifying. "I don't think we command space...We're just...Just guests in it. I don't think anyone can really conquer all of this, no matter how hard they tried." Nokra bumbled out, biting his lip, and then itching himself under his shirt. "I got a lot to be sorry for, I guess. It's just turning into a habit at this rate. Plus I'm kinda pointing out the obvious." Nokra uttered, sheepishness eking out of his voice, though temptation and curiosity overruled everything else. Curiosity killed the Felis He repeated in his head as he inched forward in his seat, and gingerly touched the Pyra's horn with the tip of his finger, only to recoil backwards like he was burned. "Can't imagine just staying on the homeworld for all of your life. It's gets boring. Least it would be for me. Moved around and saw too many interesting places for all of this to just...Go stale and keep the scenery the same I guess." Nokra snickered, a canine poking just out of his lips as he did so. "Well, thanks for not being the slaving lot. It's appreciated." He said, before the topic turned to Magali. Gone was the smiles. Now was the time of anxiety and tension, though her offer made his right ear twitch a few times. "She could...Definitely do with some female friends. Far as I know, she's just been with men. And well, they weren't pining after her friendship." Nokra grumbled, sloughing out of his seat like molasses before he caught himself and propped himself back in his seat. "Give her the shit about the danger. And if you wanna. Ask her if she likes me the same way. Fuck...I don't think I wanna know though. Feel like the Terskix onboard has her fists in my guts when the topic is brought up." "You don't know how to kill people. Or hurt them. You've definitely made a mistake when it comes to company then." Atrix replied, resting her hip on the counter of the kitchen and bending forward slightly - Lower hands on her hips as she shimmied a bit. "You're gonna wanna learn something. Anything. Real fast at this rate. Though your silence is nice. Not many keep secrets anymore." Fikri's prospects and reasonings for everything were starting to make sense however. It would have been easier to just get rid of the Chuzizian off the ship. Away from the eyes of the Daoweian and the Ogrunu. She could take the blue-haired woman easily, and she was more than sure of that. Or pride was more venomous than her pincers. Shaldag? Even wounded and reeking of the sweet, hungering scent of gore looked formidable. Though she'd never admit it. "Hmph. Amusing. Different race. Still pleading at the behest of the Ship-Matriarch. Little things in common." Atrix laughed. Fikri was right again. This wasn't the Empire. A sudden feeling wrenched in her gut and she looked at Fikri...Or rather, his lack of extra limbs and sucked her lip; mandibles raking across her cheek and leaving skin a shade brighter as they traced themselves across her face. One of her lower limbs moved to a holster and pulled out a tiny little hold-out pistol; the Terskix offering it to Fikri. "I'll treat you the same way I'd treat anyone else here. I expect you to shoot that at things that want to kill us. Or I'll use one on you for failing to protect your Matriarch, Rosalind." Atrix said plainly, giving Fikri a rather cold, and emotionless look before she bounced her hip off of the counter, intent on following Fikri. "I want to see all of you enjoy that...Dirt you keep drinking. It's bizarre you all like it." |
Ashi's hand shook as she brought the filtered end to her lips, looking to Riola to light it. At least, she assumed he had a light if he had the sticks that needed it. She wasn't waiting long, Riola soon flicking a lighter in her face and soon the end was glowing a bright orange. Still looking confused, Mendez looked over to her and grinned, “Suck in.” The princess did just that, soon spluttering, a giant puff of smoke coming out of as an exodus of an over exuberant drag. With each cough, her body contracted and the waves hit from two origins crashing inwards, one from her right arm, the other from her kneecap. The waves crashed and seemed to collide somewhere in her gut and she suddenly found herself nauseous. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes before escaping their prison and gliding down her cheeks. On the plus side, she sure as shit was awake now—a million steps away from fading to unconsciousness.
Mendez laughed, “You didn't have to suck that hard, chic---” Mendez was cut off by a metallic hand around his throat, squeezing his neck. He couldn't breathe! He couldn't....breathe...His hands immediately went to the hand, trying to break the mechanical hold to no avail. The man's grip was simply too strong, and worse was the blood on Mendez's hands making his fingers slide across the metal as if it was oiled up ice. “Sh-Sh-al--” was all he was able to stammer before the edges of his vision began to fade to black. “Shaldag! Stop! He's our friend! He's trying to save you!” Ashi said, almost jumping into a sitting position on her own cot, only being stopped by a new spasm of pain, relief setting in when Shaldag released his death grip and the redhead went toppling to the floor. Mendez landed on his hands and knees, one hand immediately going up to his neck as if in disbelief that it was still in one piece. Air rushed into his lungs, and he began heaving, raking as much of that precious oxygen as he could properly fit. His immediate emotional reaction was thankfully one he'd caught in time. He'd been trying to save this man, why would he turn on him like that? But before he said anything he'd regret, he remembered. The man wasn't in his right mind. There was a good chance that he saw the flash of red, heard the timber of his voice and remembered what had happened to him. The man lost someone he cared about, almost losing another, provided he cared for Ashi or if she was just Hyun's pet. He put his hand on the cot, using it to prop himself up to a standing position. Hyun, surprisingly, cared that he was okay, rushing to him, the redhead giving her a nod that worked on two levels, the first to show that he was alright, still conscious and still of right mind, the second to say that all was forgiven; he understood. Magali, however, went catatonic and was still frozen until Mendez gave that nod. Her little body had taken to trembling, nervous at the possibility of his being this injured and still able to do serious damage. Her hands stayed plugging the same wounds, not moving as a deer in the headlights. She backed up with the order from Hyun, as if on impulse. “He's...he's bleeding most from here, and here,” she said, pointing with two bloodied hands, “I can...I can be back in a couple of minutes.” The felis gulped and backed out into the living room, bowing to Hyun before making her exit. Mendez pressed his lips together, inhaling and exhaling from his nose. He would have put a hand on Hyun's shoulder, but given their present state, he thought better of it, “I'm alright, amiga. I think we should let non-Edensians tend to him—maybe I can grab Fikri. He left thinking that he was in the way, but I get the feeling his being a felis would make him less like to be attacked. Want me to get him?” “Ah'm guessin' she didn't talk about 'er side o' work much, did she? Can't say ah blame the lass. But, now she, and you too, 'ave a chance. An' I will, provided yer still onboard when we leave the Pools. We're gonna be enterin' 'yper speed soon, an' ah need t'be in the pit for that. For the time bein' though, ye should decide if yer stayin' with us fer longer than this stop knowin' what ye know now,” Rosalind said, no matter-of-factly. She was by no means going to force the former slaves to live out their newfound freedom in the throngs of war. Options were available, should they choose to take them. “Don't worry,” Rosalind said, her eyes glistening, “I won't tell 'er about our lit'le conversation.” “I'm...I'm learning how to make bombs, and how to utilize them,” Fikri said quietly, knowing that of the two, he was definitely the weaker. But, he was going to learn. He could be useful like Atrix, and he would, once Riola taught him everything. He'd work so hard, he'd show them. “I'll keep as many secrets as I need to not make enemies,” Fikri said with a shrug, “And Hyun has already made her distaste for me more than apparent. As far as I'm concerned, if I don't see something has it, I'll be as confounded as everyone else on board.” It wasn't that he wanted to see Hyun dead; he didn't. But she was not on the list of those he was willing to die for, and as far as he was concerned, it wasn't looking likely that she was vying to get on the list. He knew his place and his limits, and while he'd be constantly pushing for wider limits, he was not going to stray too far from them. Fikri took the pistol in his hands, turning it over all the while being sure not to let the barrel point in Atrix's direction. The metal was cold, heavier than expected in hands too. In his hands, a containment of energy waiting to be released was bottled up, shaken, and ready to burst from the top should the trigger be pulled. He looked from the gun back to Atrix, craning his head upwards in order to make eye contact, “Th-thank you...I will. I won't let you, or Rosie, down.” Here, he offered Atrix the sort of smile that wasn't actually a happy one, but wasn't fake or malicious either. It was the smile of a man who was emotionally drained, one who would never catch a break. “Then let's get to it, she probably needs it, yeah?” He holstered the pistol reminding himself to check some holo-vids on care and maybe some tips on firing and aiming later. Lacing his finger around the three handles he made his way to the cockpit, offering that same smile to the Pyra and the Felis sitting there when he arrived. “I brought coffee. Nokra, if you're going to be a pilot, you may as well get used to the stuff if you're not used to it enough already.” Rosalind held out her hands, offering Fikri a grateful grin, “Thanks, Fiks. Hey, Atrix, how's it looking in the back? Are Shaldag and the princess stable, do you know?” |
Riola forced himself not to burst out laughing at the sapphire-haired princess, and just kept on the most neutral, statuesque look he could muster while she began to cough and sputter from her first inhalation. The poor girl was looking more and more akin to someone similar who couldn't catch a damned break it seemed, and Riola found himself raising a brow at his own thoughts. He was more like this chica than he wanted to admit. Young, and naive enough to land themselves into trouble. Maybe being the girl's friend would do wonders for introspection on himself, and the Edensian moved over to make sure the girl's lungs weren't crashing and collapsing...Or crushing. Whatever lungs did when they went wrong. He wasn't too certain. "You're alright chica. Bit of a huge drag for a newbi-."
It all happened in the blink of an eye, and between Mendez dropping to his knees, the wounding man springing an arm to life in an attempt to crush the poor Half-Edensian's throat, and Hyun an ounce of compassion towards someone other than her crew, and Riola found himself lost among a sea of chaos. As soon as the commotion began, it retreated and Riola moved over towards Mendez, making sure he was still breathing and dropping to a crouch while he examined Mendez's neck. "Puta madre. Fuck, you're still alive, good. Should probably steer clear of him. Both of us. Man got attacked by Edensians. For all he knows, we're trying to kill him." He said, frowning and glancing back at the wounded Ogrunu. Whatever they did to him, it was something awful, and Riola didn't wanna know. He was already carrying the burden of Fikri's lover on his shoulders. Another body, and he wasn't sure if he could continue. Hyun's attention loomed over Magali; the Chuzizian's look stern and frustrated. Her tapping foot moved faster and magenta-colored hands gripped into the fabric of the coat while Magali began to explain herself and where the wounds were the worst - Her little bouts of information saving her from being the target of aggravation relief. Her glare hounded Magali like a hawk, until she had left the room; leaving her and the Edensians, along with Ashi, alone. Everything began to swim into effect and exhaustion began to replace the adrenaline surging through her body. Hyun felt aged into oblivion, and haunching over a bit, itched the side of her face only for both hands to move upwards to tie the hair tendrils behind her ears in a makeshift ponytail. Riola hung an arm along Mendez and let him use him like a brace if needed, the Edensian nodding in unison with the spider-lover's words. "Last thing we need is another wounded person on the ship, because Shaldag decided to strangle the life out of us, chica." There was an uncomfortable silence in the air as Hyun ignored the two and went to work moving over and assisting with Shaldag herself, the Chuzizian looking aged and tired while she began to help him herself, Hyun-chu looking back towards them finally and sighing. "Gimme 5 minutes to talk to Shaldag alone. Then have the Felis in here. Both of them. The girl and Fikri." RIola nodded slowly and moved to help Mendez out of the room, to leave them to their privacy. "I asked her not to tell me about it. Didn't wanna know what they did. All I could see was the shit afterwards. Her cleaning herself, and our masters fixing any...Damage...To their property." Nokra hissed, ears floding backwards and the hair along his tail standing on end. It was worse to see the effects than having to endure anything that he did manage to see. And he had seem some demeaning, heinous things done to the girl. But Rosalind was right and just in her side of the conversation. The duo had a chance now, and only the mention of going into hyper space tore him from the conversation at hand, Nokra spinning a full circle in his chair before leaving it facing the cockpit's window; Nokra turning his head back towards the Pyra when he realized they were still mid-conversation. "Hey...Thanks for not telling her about this. I really appreciate. People who can keep a secret are super important to me. They helped out a lot when I was pit-fighting monsters. Poisoned some of the stuff I used. Big no-no, but it kept me alive." Atrix could sense more in that smile. She had seem that drained, hollowed look from a lot of the other bounty hunters she had worked with in the past, and some of the mercenaries who had her in their employment as well. Though Fikri was far from any sort of warrior. The wear and tear from just the past couple of weeks was enough to leave the poor kid with a Thousand-mile Stare that would make him look like any run of the mill military grunt. he was no Warrior-Caste. And he didn't deserve the small bits of combat he had seen. She returned the smile with a stern look and a firm, deliberate nod; mandibles clicking together before she shrugged a shoulder. "Bombs. One slip and you lose your limbs. And you only have four of them." She said cautiously, letting the danger sink into his mind. Her mind veered from the topics of Hyun and his own weakness. In that tired state of mental exhaustion, Atrix couldn't help but smile and lean in close for a second. "You have the hunger. Hunger of a warrior. Is her death driving you to this?" She asked, crossing her legs first, and then her arms. One she had her limbs crossed, the Terskix moved her lower limbs and rubbed lesser hands together. "Vengeance is a dangerous path. I fight and kill because it's how I make a living. You're going to murder simply because you're angry. Be careful in what you do. Human saying my husband was fond of: Someone burdened by bloodguilt will be a fugitive of their actions until death." Atrix mentioned, finally stirring back into action when Fikri began to deliver the coffee. Atrix found herself in the cockpit of the new ship, and watched on as the new Felis, Rosalind and Fikri began to enjoy their dirt-water; Atrix speaking up when Rosalind began to ask her questions. "The princess is being tended to by Riola. The Edensian can stitch people back together well enough. He's done it for me." Atrix replied, shrugging a shoulder. "I have a feeling Ogrunu is going to be feeding me if we don't get there soon, in response to the other." |
Riola's suppressed smile went well over Ashi's head as she recovered from the drag. Tears began to collect in the corners of her eyes and she groaned only to have a bubble of smoke creep back up her throat and poofing outside her slightly parted lips. The princess looked and felt utterly terrible. There was no chance for her to respond to Riola's attempt at comforting words when Shaldag turned on Mendez. He understood, of course, the man was a fountain of patience (she supposed he had to be, considering his choice of a partner)--so he bore no ill will against the man. She could see it on his face. He was bewildered, yes, but not angry.
“I'm alright,” Mendez croaked, “I'm fine; it's fine.” The half-Edensian's face said otherwise, however, and he gladly took to Riola's offer of his shoulder as the pair made it out of the room before their accents and hair could set the man off again. Riola was bound to be the next target if he made the mistake of getting within arm's reach of the Ogrunu. When they were safely situated outside in the common room, Mendez laughed, “Atrix'll be upset if that leaves a mark, won't she hermano?” He sighed, “I'm hoping the mental scares don't last beyond the Pools. It's gonna be one helluva fuckin' journey if they don't...” Rosalind kept her mouth shut, nodding when she was supposed to but swallowed some spit that had gathered at the back of her throat. The felis truly led miserable lives. Damage to their property, as if these living, sentient beings could properly be owned by anyone. Then, they quite literally were. They were humanoid cargo, meant to serve their purpose and fixed...to serve that purpose. If she tried, she could almost imagine the misery that Magali felt when she needed to clean up in front of Nokra, the shame. Or for Nokra to see. The life was beyond her reckoning. As far as backstories went, Rosalind had a fairly happy one. Sure, she had a failed engagement and her father died, but her father wasn't murdered, and she'd had a great upbringing. Magali and Nokra? Shit, Fikri too...They all were raised believing that they were only worth as much as someone paid for them, and treated like far less than that. And Nokra was a fighter on top of that. His life would have been no walk in the park by itself. “Yer secrets good wit' me,” she said, eyes glinting in sincerity. “So long as ye live, some poisoned stuff is fine by me. Fikri could feel Atrix's eyes on him, but he looked down shifting his weight. His ears were still pressed against his head as she assessed him but he managed to keep eye contact. Something told him that the usual expectations of his old masters were the exact opposite of what someone like Atrix would respect. “I...am aware of the risks,” Fikri said, cautiously, but not without appreciation, “I've decided to take them. Besides, my hobbies include delicate work. I have experience with that, at least. I know it's different, but I'm hoping that skill will carry over. And if it doesn't and I end up killing myself in the process, then I guess I'll be meeting Vail sooner than anticipated. It's all the same to me.” Fikri gave the Terskix a nonchalant shrug, his ears giving a bit of an involuntary twitch. “What's driving me to do this? Sure, Vail's death is part of it. I found out what love means because of that woman, and to have her stripped from me like a blanket when you're not quite ready to wake up? It's unbearable, and I will have vengeance or die trying...But,” Fikri paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts, his ears rising from their flattened position, “But I'm going to fight for more than that. I'll fight for Rosie, you, Riola, Mendez...I'm going to fight for the living as well. And you can bet your ass I'll be giving it my all.” As he made his manifesto, his hands drifted down to the gun at his hip, feeling the cool feel of the metal under his fingertips. It was heavy, heavier than expected anyway, and lethal by nature. He would be making use of it sooner rather than later, and he knew it. Magali shrunk back, not immune to Hyun's glare boring into her core. The sight was pathetic, but one suited to a near albino felis covered in blood not her own. Every emotion that she felt was clearly readable in more than just her face, but her ears and tail as well. She never had a reason to pretend to be strong—most liked them weak, so Magali in her job didn't need to change a thing. This timidity, this weakness, it was not only a part of Magali but it had been fostered, cultivated to make the perfect, obedient slave. It was no wonder she survived as long as she did; she was precious. “I'll—I'll relay the message,” she whimpered, her tail dangling behind her resembling a limp, furry noodle. She backed out of the room, closing the door behind her and breathed. The air in there was tense, and stepping into the common room felt to her like swimming to the surface for air. Her eyes drifted to a digital reading of the time, conveniently located by the door lock that led outside the ship. Five minutes. She'd be watching to make sure that it was five minutes, no more, no less—unless Hyun asked for otherwise. She nodded to herself, resolutely, and made her way to the cockpit. Rosalind sipped at her coffee to test the temperature, then tipped the mug back taking a larger swig and sighed contently, “Ah, et's just the way ah like it, thank ye.” Fikri offered Rosalind that smile he'd given Atrix earlier, and though Rosalind noticed it didn't comment, “Anytime, Rosie. Do you have an ETA yet?” She wondered if she'd ever see a real smile on the Felis's face ever again. “Aye, we're about t'enter 'yperspeed. The gravity es fixed in this ship, so ye don't 'ave t'worry 'bout 'angin' on, but be wary of et,” Rosalind said, flicking a switch above her and grabbing a mic, “'Tention all passengers, we're enterin' 'yperdrive, so brace yerselves!” The voice was heard throughout the ship, and outside the cockpit, Magali quickly found a wall to hang onto, not knowing any better, bracing herself against it and slowly making her way to the cockpit. Now off the loudspeaker, the Pyra turned to Fikri, “We've got about ten minutes before enterin' the grav'tation'l pull, an' five more on that t'land.” As the words were uttered, Magali appeared, and those in the cockpit turned to stare at her in horror. From head to toe red stained the normally white bodice and hair and fur. It was thickest around her hands, and she looked more like someone who had just committed a murder than someone who was trying to save another's life, “I'm... I'm sorry, but Fikri, in three...” she stopped to look at one of the screens, “...and a half minutes, we need to go back to tend to the princess and Shaldag. They are worse for the wear, but for the next three...” she paused looking back at the screen, “yes, three minutes, we need you to help. Are you...are you willing?” The last bit came out cracked as the realization that he might say no crept into her consciousness and a great relief was met with the answer. “Sure thing, Magali,” his face was anything but reassuring as he raked over the blood-soaked woman with nervous, wide eyes. Magali sighed and grinned, “Thank goodness. Uhm, we should probably head there soon. You said fifteen minutes, Rosalind?” “Aye.” |
Once out of the room, Riola peeked back to make sure for some reason the Ogrunu wasn't out of his bed and chasing him down, before taking his steps just a bit slower. After all, the man looked like something out of a war film, and the fact he was still capable of crushing them with one functioning arm and his clinging to life? Riola wouldn't have been surprised if he was capable of jumping up and murdering them both. "People don't get their throats crushed by a metal man and jump around saying their fine, normally. Loco-ass hermano." Riola said with a small chuckle, before looking down the hall of the ship and shrugging his own shoulder. "She'll probably be jealous Shaldag got to leave a lasting mark on you instead of her. Providing she hasn't already. Don't tell me or show me. Don't wanna know what you two do in the bedroom, comprende?" Riola moved over to one of the walls along the corridor and let Mendez take hold of them, before Riola itched his forehead, looking towards Mendez with a rather exhausted look.
"At best, he's coming out with a newly found outlook on how terrible the chicas running the planet are. At worst? He murders every redhead he sees from now on. I'm banking on the fact the Ogrunu is just in shock and delirious. Don't know how Hyun is gonna handle it. Those two seem pretty fucking close." He added, brushing his hands through his hair and then kicking at the ground. "You ever get the feeling like all these people get hurt because of us? I mean, it seems like I get into trouble just for being able to piss standing up sometimes..." The three in the medbay had some time to themselves, and Hyun seemed to look back and forth between the two, her age finally setting in and the Chuzizian looking something more akin to a mother eyeing her two sick, wounded children; her maternal glances finally stopping as she locked bright eyes onto Ashi and moved to loom over her for the time being. "Well, at least we made it. And the pools are the next stop. Just gotta sit here in pain for a little bit, right? Nothing too bad." Hyun sighed, chuckling and slowly shaking her head, before planting a small, gentle kiss on the Daoweian's forehead, letting cold, slightly tingling lips linger there for as long as she could get away with, and then pulling away. "You should consider getting some rest, Ashi. You look tired as fuck, and I can stay up and keep tabs on Shaldag for now." She said, crossing her arms and looking over towards the Ogrunu - Hyun bringing up her hand and chewing on her fingernails. "You take some assholes for granted, and you know you do, and now you end up watching them fight for their life. If he bites the fucking bullet, I'm all alone. Save you of course, but it's different with him. I guess...Shal's like a fuckin' security blanket sometimes." Hyun mused outloud, squatting and pressing herself against Ashi's cot. "...I don't want him to die. I don't want you two to die. This gang shit is over if we can get away clean from this all." "I mean, I wouldn't poison you lot, if that's what you're thinking. I just. Fuck. Well, I don't really know how exactly to say what I mean." Nokra said, forcing out a nervous chuckle while he itched both of his ears with each hand; his legs kicking like a child's. Small talk seemed to be what was coming next between the two, and Nokra sucked his teeth. Chatting about mundane things was something he never really...Learned? If one could say they learned how to banter? The most the Felis had ever gotten in lieu of a conversation with someone who wasn't a slave was orders and drills on how to put something sharp into a point in a humanoid's body to render them inert. The Terskix seemed to be silent and nodded slowly, understandably, at each sentence the Felis had been producing. Bomb-making was delicate work. The warrior-caste could testify to that every round of training when they were fed the limbs of those who had failed miserably in their duties to learning to serve the Empire, and Atrix blinked each set slowly, the previous set of eyes opening up only when the other set after was closed. "You keep talking about killing other people. And meeting Vail. Are you aware of what a bomb does? Not how it works. Anyone can explain what a bomb's purpose is for. I'm talking about the aftermath. They aren't subtle. They don't care about who is in the way. As you other humanoids like to call it. Civilians, you will be taking their lives too if it goes right. I simply ask because for someone who is so longing to see Vail. You do not see the fact that you will be doing to others what the Edensians did to you." Atrix warned, before shrugging a shoulder and clicking her mandibles, and chuckling to herself. "Don't fight for me. I am strong enough on my own. Rosalind is strong. Everyone here is strong. Fight for yourself mostly. Not to sound rude. But if you try and help us all, you'll get yourself killed. People need to stand for themselves." Coffee in hand, Nokra took his mug and slurped it down in nearly one whole gulp, ignoring the burn and fighting as hard as he could to avoid sputtering and spitting out the hot liquid, before sighing and twitching his tail back and force like a furious little pendelum. "Whoa man. This is gonna keep me up. My tail's already going a mile a minute." He mentioned, offering Fikri a small nod in thanks, and keeping himself tucked in as hard as he could into his own seat when he noticed the Terskix had followed as well. "How did you guys find the spider-girl?" He finally blurted out, Atrix blinking a few times at the sudden mention of herself; Atrix moving over to shadow the Felis in his seat from behind. "Rosalind hired me to eat people who ask too many irritating questions." "O-oh..." Nokra muttered, shirking back as the tips of fur on his ears stood on end; bravery only returning when Magali entered the cockpit - Nokra sitting back up and looking at the blood-soaked Felis, and folding his ears back. Whatever hell the Ogrunu went through was splattered all over Magali, and Nokra fought the nearly irresistable urge to run over and try and clean her up. Atrix looked at the blood-soaked Magali - A lower limb reaching out and swiping a finger across one of her crimson-coated cheeks, the Terskix planting the red on her tongue and sucking her finger. That's what an Ogrunu tasted like. Terrible. "I hope we're fast enough." Atrix replied solemnly. |
Mendez rubbed his neck as if needing the reminder that he'd just almost been choked to death. A hand-shaped ring of pain circled his neck, pulsing, pulsing. He'd bruise, and it would only hurt more from there. Shit, maybe he could take a dip in the pools himself. He smirked, wanting to say something along the lines of practice, but rolled his eyes instead, “I'll keep the details to myself, hermano. Nothing you wouldn't expect, and we'll leave it at that.” Mendez stopped seeing the exhaustion in Riola's eyes. It'd been a while since either of them rested, and Mendez hoped that the trip to the pools might ease that. Not all of them were meant for medicinal purposes; some were more luxurious and spa-like. He knew they had the money, and he wondered if they would take the chance to relax a bit as well. Might relieve some tension on the ship.
“Eh, if that happens we can just dye our hair. I think your Rosa would be safe though – she looks different enough from us that he'd be able to disassociate...ehm, maybe. Unless it's a color triggered thing, but I thought that it wasn't an Edensian that attacked, si? It was that faceless thing?” Mendez asked. He knew that the effects of PTSD were very real, but he didn't know how it worked. There was nothing ever that triggered that for him. As far as Mendez was concerned, Atrix was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. If anything were to give him PTSD, it'd be her. “SĂ...” Mendez said after a moment, “SĂ, I do. But every time I remind myself that we're all here willingly. We're being hunted, and we all chose to be seen together. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're in this shit together. We've gotta help each other now.” Even as he said this, doubt tinged on the outside of his voice. If he was putting everything together correctly, between their party, they had both the Daoweian and Edensian governments on them. There were likely hitmen at best, if not, entire armadas. The best they could hope for, until they got allies anyway, was to keep away – keep running until they couldn't run anymore. =-=-= Ashi's eyes stayed locked on the ceiling, forcing herself to focus on her breathing. Inhale...exhale...inhale After all, that is what they taught, wasn't it? Deep steady breaths...She was forced back into reality when Hyun's form moved in her periphery, and her eyes honed in on her as something else to focus on. Breathing in once more, she mustered a smile, “Yeah... almost there. If attention has to be decided, give it to Shal first. I can wait; I don't think he can,” Ashi nodded several times, as if convincing herself as well, and attempted to shift into comfort only to hiss, pain jolting through her body and...falling right back into the position she was previously. Nope, not trying that again... Air rushed into Ashi's lungs, heart catching in her throat as she felt those cold lips on her overheating forehead. Hyun was a natural icepack, working more effectively than even than the most soothing herbal salve. “I'll...rest,” she assented, “Once we get there. We're almost there, right? I can make it then...I'll make it.” There was something about knowing that she would make it. She was bleeding, probably both internally and externally, but her breathing was clear, her heart didn't seem to be beating too fast. She just had to stay calm until they made it. But the pain, how it was escalating! Focus on Hyun, focus on her beauty, she likes you enough to call you her girlfriend...If not for you, at least for her... “I...I know. I don't want him to die either... we'll make it, he'll make it. His will to survive is strong, and you know that means he will. We're almost there; he just needs to hold on, just a...just a little longer,” Ashi said, swallowing some spit that had gathered at the back of her throat. Her good hand shifted to rest on Hyun's shoulder, feeling her cold seep through her clothes and into her clothes, “What are we going to do if there's no gang? Run away somewhere? Is there anywhere we can go that they won't find me?” Ashi asked, accidentally letting her pessimistic side out some. She closed her eyes, “...Sorry. There's... there's got to be somewhere he won't look. I know it. Someday he'll have to give up, he'll lose patience and when he sees I intend to lay low, he'll stop wasting resources... if I know him at all.” =-=-=-=-= Rosalind turned and grinned at Nokra after taking a long swig from her coffee. It was only slightly too hot, just the way Rosalind liked it, “Alright, Nokra, ye watchin'? The levers I'm pullin' now are bringin' in the wings. T'enter 'yperspeed, et's best not t'ave a buncha friction...” She fell into explaining every little things her hands were doing, every little detail on the screens that were important, the ideal numbers to hit, and just like that the stars began to blend together. It was here that Fikri tuned out, if only for a moment. The Terxix had given him plenty to think about, like he didn't have enough on his mind already. You do not see the fact that you will be doing to others what the Edensians did to you... He shook his head and shifted his weight, from one leg to the other. He didn't bother to correct Atrix. In fact, he found her threat to be sort of funny despite his lack of smile. Magali froze, allowing the Terskix to run a finger across her cheeks, only closing her eyes and breathing only when she felt she was no longer being touched. Almost instinctively, she looked up at the Terskix as if seeking her approval – a response that had been trained into her. Without looking to Fikri she said, “We should... uh, probably...probably head for the medbay...” |
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