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Author Topic: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]  (Read 3121 times)

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Cheesigator

  • Guest
Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« on: December 13, 2017, 06:54:36 pm »
Kirkley couldn't wipe the mad grin off his face as the bay doors sealed shut behind Hesperus and himself, yanking the helmet off as soon as the oxygen was pumped back into the room and he could face his son for the first time in some fifty years without a helmet between the two of them.

Shen** gave a little shiver as he settled the particles around his body more thoroughly into what gave the appearance that he was wearing a sharp and fitted suit, despite it being a little outdated, who knew when the last time he'd seen one was.

For Kirkley, it was nice to see that sometimes things didn't change all that much. It was a reassuring constant in a world that never stopped to rest, one that had taken so much from him that he would never be able to get back.

Shen, standing even with Hesperus at a good 6'4", the ring for a head still always facing you no matter what direction you looked at him from, a real mindfuck if you stared too hard, all lit up by the neon purples and pinks that made up the ethereal flame-sort of... Stuff that always burned at his ring's center. He was just the way Kirkley remembered him, and now that he had a shit ton of parasites out of him, even better.

Shen motioned to Kirkley and the captain handed him the gestured-to commset. He peeked over his son's shoulder, curious to read the conversation, though he was briefly interrupted as Shen gave Hesperus the first hug after he finished waving at the crew from the ship's security cameras, picking the Incubus up off the ship floor and bearhugging him, always having a bit of a soft spot for the demon that made Kirkley's smile bittersweet.

Captain Kirkitty: Heading on up now! Fuck those suits they are the worst. Oh Shen wants my comm
Captain Kirkitty: hELLO
Captain Kirkitty: 8D
Captain Kirkitty: I sorry about other day is was awful hurt real bad 8(((( worms suck
Injida: Parasites are an unholy bitch. It is fine.
Captain Kirkitty: yes! brb hugs !
Biggs: Um...its okay! Hello!
LeatherNSilk: no wordincdkxkfwocendi cnrnfovldneg
Biggs: O.o
Captain Kirkitty: <3
Biggs: Oh. Sorry if I almost shot you a couple of times.
Biggs: I was trying really hard not to. >_>
Captain Kirkitty: is okay ! sorry for bad common D: I eat ships not read them
LeatherNSilk: its getting better. Proud of you
Sappleling: Fucking eat ships?
Captain Kirkitty: !!! :D Thank!
Injida: I will be sure to fly more smoothly next time.
Captain Kirkitty: dad says your flying was best
Biggs: Well. Thank you for, um, not eating us.
Captain Kirkitty: I would never eat dad he is good
Captain Kirkitty: MORE HUGS


This time it was Kirkley going in for the hugs, picking up his bird-like son who wiggled quite happily while Kirkley made a point of not putting his head anywhere near that ring of his. It was a mistake he made once and would never care to repeat again.

More conversation was exchanged via the comms, and as the final security seals unlocked they stepped aboard, heading to the deck to meet with everyone per the Captain's instructions. Introductions were in the way, and Kirkley stood himself at the helm of the ship by the captain's seat as he waited for his crew members to file in, some more disgruntled than others. He nodded to Shen to stand beside him, who cheerfully did so, head still moving in jerky motions like a bird as he looked around, taking in all the sights, sounds, smells, and seeing what had changed since he'd been on his father's ship last, wringing his gloved hands with nervous excitement.

It'd been a while since he'd talked with people, probably. Kirkley smiled softly and turned to address the crew, plus one stowaway, once they had all shown up. He couldn't help the chuckle once Vargas handed a very pleasantly surprised Shen a cup of coffee, who wasted no time in unbuttoning his jacket, sticking the cup in there, his torso almost seeming to stretch and make him taller just for a moment, before he adjusted back to normal size and pulled an empty cup out and buttoned back up again.

"Okay, okay, so the other day didn't go as planned--what was supposed to happen, was I was going to joke about this big awful scary monster who might eat us, and all that fun stuff, and then Shen was going to show up all big and scary-like, make you guys shriek, and then come aboard like you see him now and be normal Shen who is quite nice," He looked over and grinned as Shen did a bird-like happy dance with his feet, forgetting that he had hands.

"But obviously that's not what happened. So barring the awful space parasites and him almost killing us because the bugs were telling him to, I'd like you guys to meet my son Shen. He's going to be taking us to..."

His discolored gaze flickered over to Aesir for a moment, his smile fading just slightly, before he reeled it in and brought his gaze back to everyone.

"To our uh. Vacation spot I guess."

At this point he looked at Shen, who wasn't sure what else to do with the mug, so it was tossed into the ring and it didn't come back out the other side.

God dammit. Really?

"... I liked that mug, you jackass."

Shen merely whuffed his strange breathy laugh, which came from who knows where as far as the other crew members were concerned, before they would all hear a strange, garbled noise bubbling into their heads.***

"Heheh, do not tell him the cup is in his room. Hi!" He gave the crew a little wave with a gloved hand, "I am the Shen. Shen. Just Shen. Not the the. Hi! I am sorry about the other night, thank you for your help. I almost did the bucket kicking. Thank! I am will be helping you, I am The Transport!"

At the mention of "The Transport" he put his hands in the air and wiggled his fingertips dramatically for a moment before dropping them back down to continue fidgeting, which made Kirkley smile and give him a gentle and brief pat on the back and shoulder--for someone who rarely ever got to interact with others, Kirkley thought he was doing a fantastic job.

He let his hand remain there, murmuring something in a rather archaic-sounding language, deep and gutteral, that Shen responded to via telepathy--everyone could hear it, who knew what they were saying. He turned back to his father's crewmembers though and continued.

"We will be getting the going in morning after one more rest--you will, I will not. I stay here." He shrugged. "Is simple enough. I am secret though, please do not be tellings of me after this journey. Questions?"





** Shen is Kirkley's is one of Kirkley's sons, who originally appeared in the form of a giant black hawk-like monstrosity twice the size of the Loveless in the first thread The Transport. This thread immediately follows The Transport with a few days timeskipped between. Artwork by me.

*** Shen's voice is Joe Saunders as Commander Powell from Dark Star.


Thread Rules!

- Try to post a reply within 24 hours! If you can't it's cool just lmk,
bc this is an important thread and no further plot progression will be happening until it's over/mostly over. I'll put this on hold for Christmas Eve/Day tho for obvious reasons. xD

- Your character doesn't have to be present for every moment!
If your character is in another room, or doesn't have much to say for a round of posts, you can skip posting and let me know, don't feel obligated to post. Posts can be short, too. Ain't nobody judgin, here õ__õ

- Assume your characters will be for the most part occupied and not in epic chat for the next few days, they bout to be very busy and who knows how this thread is gonna end, for those worried about continuity.

- For reference, pior to this thread: crew members have taken the last few days to rest and recooperate while Kirkley and Shen heal from space worm wounds. Kirkley's been selfishly keeping Aesir and Otto in his room for snuggles and 18+ things, the selfish bastard. D: He also screwed Hes and dragged him into the snuggle pile, dude got around. He's been quite irritable without them, but he's better now. Wrestled with Nero and everythang. Dez cleaned the ship and lost to Nero in strip poker, uhh I think that's all that happened.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2017, 05:38:13 am by Cheesigator »

Offline Draconian

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2017, 07:43:05 pm »
The past few days had been odd.

Aesir had stayed behind in Kirkley's room long after everyone had gotten ready for the day.  Lethargic, tired. He didn't want to do anything except sleep more. Curl himself up in Kirkley's bed. Go back to his own if it got... Crowded... Again. Space sucked. He didn't even want to think of how far away from home he was. Despite what he'd said, he was fully clothed. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, loose green sweater and his maroon bandanna looped around his neck like a scarf. A quick glance at the door and he tossed his com onto the rumpled sheets of the bed and went to his number one spot to snoop.

He'd gotten used to seeing pictures of someone that looked like him. Some more time worn than others.  Aesir sat on the floor with the box between his kneels, touching everything that probably wouldn't get him caught. A tug on the sheet to check the com, frowning when the weird hoopheaded birdman was on board. Should clean this up quickly then. Slowly and gently, he picked up the pictures of the man that looked like him and Kirkley, sadness panging in his chest for how happy they looked. Frowning at all the green in the background of the photos.

The sound of something small falling from the pile had him jerk. Fear shot up his spine because what if he broke something. Aesir looked around holding his breath when he finally spotted it. Looked like a weird big fang broken off of the rest of a tooth. Curiously he picked it up, closing his hand around it and froze, blinking at it before he tucked it into his pocket and finally cleaning up from his sort of pilfering.

He slipped into the area where Shen was behind everyone in time to see him shove a cup of coffee into his coat. Why not? Aesir did his best not to roll his eyes. Instead he put his hands in his pocket, rubbing his thumb over that little shard of whatever he'd found in Kirkleys room. It was Aesir's though. He didn't know why he knew that. But he did. It was his and some strange irrational side of him was angry at Kirkley for keeping it in a box with all those old pictures.

Aesir frowned at the mention of 'vacation', looking confused at Kirkley when they briefly made eye contact. Mostly he wasn't paying attention. Winced away from the voice before he kept his head down and worried his thumb over the thing in his pocket. Should he show it to Kirkley?

No. A quick glance at everyone in the room, eyes lingering on the weird hoophead bird 'Shen' it said it's name was. Good to know he was so chipper after almost fucking killing everyone. Super cool. Mostly he tried to slip away once Shen had said his piece about being the transport and staying here but...

"Is your mouth in your chest?" Aesir chirped from the back of the group, looking confused - It only now sinking in where exactly Shen had put his coffee.

Offline GoblinFae

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2017, 09:49:46 pm »
Hesperus had just managed to rip off the entirety of his suit and helmet when he was suddenly and quite pleasantly sucked into Shen's all-encompassing embrace. His com had been crushed between them and yet he couldn't care less as he clung back just as fiercely. The Incubus absolutely adored Kirkley's son and had for all the years the pair had known each other. While it had been half a century since father and son had last met it was even longer for Hesperus. Not every time he ran into Kirkley did he get to see Shen though he treasured each and every meeting. His little tail fluttered wildly in the back of his pants in excitement long after he was released and allowed back on his own two feet.

The demon was glad for a few moments to compose himself as he helped their little stowaway make some food before rejoining the group. Seeing Shen happy and back to his normal self only served to make Hesperus realize how horrible the entire encounter of finding him had been. Waking up to a blinding headache, Kirkley gone, and the Loveless in danger had been far from ideal. He had not taken the time to truly process just how close he had come to losing not one but two friends. Those were thoughts he quickly reburied deep inside again as he rejoined the crew and listened with rolling eyes to Kirkley's explanation. It was one of the old sky dog's favorite tricks, after all.

Vacation spot? As if that didn't sound ominous at all. The look that passed across the captain's face only served to make Hesperus feel more cautious. He had his suspicions as to who little Aesir was, though those had always been stories told to him in the still, quiet moments when Kirkley would go from murderous pirate to something different, something the demon had never truly understood at the time. Hesperus had never been sure what was truth and what was fantasy but seeing those same shades of evergreen and amethyst he had known so intimately in a different face was starting to make a believer out of him.

The demon brushed his own musings away though as Shen's thoughts washed over him in an all too familiar sensation akin to a bubbling spring breaking the surface at last. He chuckled softly at just how adorable the creature was. He had not been lying either, Shen truly was improving with his Common. When Hesperus had first met him, Shen had only been able to communicate in a few broken words. Things were often spoken through the translation of Kirkley or a series of complicated gestures. Things would be much easier this time around, space leeches aside of course.

True laughter escaped him as of all the things to ask Shen, Aesir chose to ask about his unique brand of digestion. Hesperus impulsively pulled Shen flush against him, his arms settling about the other male's waist as he dipped his head enough to avoid the hoop and instead nuzzle against Shen's shoulder. It did not matter to him that the others could see and would probably judge them for the blatant display of affection. The demon had been plenty discreet and to himself since joining the crew for fear of disturbing their precious balance. But, this was Shen and he cared deeply for this "child" that was already so much older than himself. The thought of losing him had frightened the Incubus though he had had to hold it together for the sake of others who would not understand. Now though all he wanted to do was hug the avian-like creature close and never let go.

Offline nephero

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2017, 11:10:06 pm »
   Otto did not get along with liminality. He was far more comfortable with exact numbers, yes and no, clear and concise boundaries and expectations. A job, and how to do it, or nothing at all. As long as he had these basic ideas (a plan, a general goal, hell even just the most rudimentary commands of “do X until told otherwise”), something to go off of, he was fine. Insert variables, obtain solution. Sometimes it was more complex than that, but at least he had a leg to stand on.

   He didn’t… like… surprises. Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Secrets? But no, that wasn’t true either— or if it was, that made him a damn hypocrite, keeping all his own secrets to himself but expecting everyone else to divulge theirs. But no, that wasn’t true either. He didn’t mind that everyone had their own lives and their own reasons and their own private selves outside of what they told him— Wolf, for instance, and whatever miracle he’d used to help heal up the giant goldfish

   Which was also apparently wildly inaccurate for how Vargas had commented him needing an encyclopedia of animals, something that he might have been able to to gloss over with an embarrassed laugh any other day, but today just set all his nerves on edge

   But this whole thing, meeting up with Shen, the parasites, Kirkley disappearing for so many terrible, horrible minutes, and then popping back in like it had been nothing— it had made Otto anxious. So anxious. His stomach rolled and his chest felt tight and nothing seemed to be quite right. Normally he’d have felt one of these little attacks and gone straight to his collection of narcotics but…

   He had a job to do. In the absence of the Captain, the Loveless needed to keep running. That was his job. His variable. Something that he could do while the rest of everything floated in the worst kind of limbo. Even staying with Kirkley the following day hadn’t done much— it had been a temporary relief, at best, and when he returned to his duties, was left alone again with his thoughts, well…

   Well, what?

   Well, what, indeed. It wasn’t like any of this crap was his business. He didn’t suddenly have a right to know absolutely everything that Kirkley had planned. Expecting anything of the sort was just… brazen. Presumptuous. Shitty. It was so shitty, and the shittier he felt the shittier his boarders felt, mutual anxiety roiling over and over again to where he felt like he wanted to throw up. Not uncommon, but usually at least he had the benefit of being wasted at the time.

   Being wasted sounded so good. His stash had been compromised, consumed, little though it was, but there were compartments that even a little sneak thief couldn’t get into without knowing where they were. He was only mildly ashamed to say that as soon as he woke up, he’d slipped out of Kirkley’s room in the still quiet of whatever hour it had meant to be and shuffled into Ironsides and pried the metal plating away from the wall just beneath the kitchen area cabinets. The bottle had glowed blue, still beautifully .75 of the way full, the label smudged and wrinkled but still legible. Injida. The last vestiges of his home made into potent inebriation. And fuck, hadn’t he earned that? Just a little bit, just a little time of not remembering how bad he felt, of not remembering how tired he was and of not remembering just how little he actually was allowed to know.

   Don’t ask. Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. Everything’s fine.

   Kirkley reminded him so much of Roy sometimes. Otto hated that.

   The injida’s personal brand of relief, however, would be terribly short-lived, because not too long after Otto had reached a disheartening .5 of the way full, his comm buzzed with a priority message. Right. Game face. Time to move. Stuff to do. And so it was only with some mild swaying that he had taken his place in the cockpit, keeping his eyes on all the monitors and the blinking notifications, thankful not for the first time for his ability to simply hook in and let his brain do the talking. Fine motor skills were just not a part of today’s plan. Luckily, it seemed, neither were ship-eating monsters.

   He remained where he was plugged in as the rest of the crew filed in, long legs drawn up into the chair just for the sake of comfort as Otto settled into a more relaxed position. Fake it ‘til you make it, or whatever the adage was. He stared, perhaps a bit longer than was polite, at Shen, at this entirely different and equally bizarre form he’d taken, and most of all into the rolling violet flames that fluctuated within the hoop that took the place of any traditional sort of cranium. The flames were fascinating, vibrant and oversaturated with color that Otto felt almost like it should have been impossible for him to see. Even more so, however, was the low, heady droning Shen’s presence brought about from his boarders— whatever this goldfish-apparently-not-a-goldfish was, Otto felt like he could stare forever, and also that he really, really shouldn’t.

   All of that was broken, however, by the sudden incredulous question from the youngest member of their crew, and Otto felt entirely off-balance for half of a moment despite being seated in his chair. Aesir. Leave it to him to ask something completely unexpected; Otto couldn’t help an amused sort of smile that that, more than a little fond of such absolutely carefree inquisitiveness. Not for the first time, Otto wished he could be like the younger human— and not worry himself sick over what everyone else thought twenty four hours out of the day.

   It definitely was the break in tension Otto had needed, his shoulders easing up from how tight they had been, the host taking a deep breath and letting it out in a staccato breath.

   “So, this vacation spot. What should we be expecting?” he asked, observing just how affectionate Hesperus was being with the strange creature and more than a little heart-warmed for it. Hesperus had been so stressed since coming on board (or so Otto thought, it was sometimes hard to tell, but there had just been this unmistakable something attached the whole affair), it was nice to see him genuinely happy for once.

Offline Zero Undead

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2017, 05:19:48 am »
From the time they had entered the asteroid belt things had felt off. It was like this tiny, minuscule nagging feeling like something tickling at the back of Wolf’s mind. The AI continued to hum along, seemingly running smoothly now. Of course when the entire incident had been ongoing it was like someone had thrown a stone at a pond, it had shattered the calm surface with ripples that echoed all the way across his psyche.

What had happened that day…night? It was still gnawing away at him. There was an itch under his skin that wouldn’t go away. Worst of all, Wolf had no idea if it was a real sensation caused by the nanites or if perhaps it was all just within his head; how did you even tell?

Everything had gone wrong. There was a stowaway, and he had been the one to suggest securing her because a crate in the airlock wasn’t safe. He had felt real, genuine concern about the safety of this person he did not know. That wasn’t surprising. Killing and death were very unpleasant and just thinking about either made him unreasonably uncomfortable.

None of that had been his fault.

Wolf had put her in that cell and had even given her one of his little puzzles to play with so she wouldn’t be completely without some form of entertainment. After that he had rushed to help Aesir, and had felt woefully inadequate in performing the task. He had barely helped at all. After all that, that woman had escaped her cell. Otto had made those angry bug noises at him. It was just another failure at a critical moment in time during their quite stressful mission. He should have done better, and it shook him that the AI had failed him so blatantly that night.

So much so that he’d spent the entire next day wallowing in bed, not only from exhaustion, but simple overwhelming emotion. Well, he had tried to wallow. Nero had made that hard with his insistence on keeping him company. Wolf still didn’t know if he would have preferred being left alone or if the warmth of Nero pressed against his back until he relented and spent hours just talking.

There wasn’t even anything important to say. He talked about food – one of the things he had found himself most enamored with since meeting Kirkley- and then about his little projects. Insignificant trinkets he worked on to preoccupy his AI when not taking care of the ship. Neither was an interesting topic, or Wolf didn’t think they should have been, but Nero had seemed more than happy to waste his time engaging in it. He actually seemed enthusiastic and attentive to the conversation. It was really not at all what he’d expected, but somehow it also seemed good.

Nero had been a soothing presence, for as long as he’d stayed.

If he thought about it, out of the crew, Wolf had probably spent the most one-on-one time with Nero, between that strange day and going shopping with him. Usually he only saw everyone together, when they were gathered – like now.

Wolf had seen the chatter over his comm, but had failed to say anything. He didn’t know what to even say, because he was worried that anything at all could be the wrong thing. Nobody had started interrogating him about what he’d done. Not a single demand to explain how he had helped the giant bird-monster that was also somehow the captain’s son.

He preferred it stayed that way as long as possible. Wolf wasn’t sure he could even truly, adequately explain everything. It had been a gamble. He hadn’t been sure it would even work. It stunned him that it worked. What else could he do that he didn’t know yet?

It was all too stressful. Hiding in his room did not seem to be an option, however, so he filed into the room with everyone else. Wolf found a place against the wall, ducking his head and being as inconspicuous as possible, and hating himself for it. These people had been kind to him when no one before them had, and here he wished only to hide from them.

Wolf’s head jerked up as that voice invaded his mind, though. Oh, he did not like that, not one little bit and suddenly didn’t feel as bad for wishing he was alone in his room with his anxious thoughts.

Anxious thoughts he desperately hoped Shen could not read.

Lowering his head again, he pointedly looked at no one. Wolf didn’t want anyone to look at him. He didn’t want to be seen. It felt too much like they could peer in and rip the truth from him at a glance. Why hadn’t the AI stopped this yet?

Why didn’t it make the feelings go away?

Wolf wanted so badly for it to do just that. Maybe he worried that sometimes the AI was really the one in control and his body was still a puppet dancing upon invisible strings, but right now even that seemed better. At least then he felt shielded and safe in a familiar, if twisted, submission.

One more day, Shen said. Then they would leave, going to this supposed vacation spot.

The only question Wolf really wanted to ask is if he could be dismissed now that “the plan” going forward was shared with them. He managed to glance up, teal eyes roaming over Aesir at the question he posed. It was a fair one. Perhaps some of the others found it amusing, but it seemed a logical inquiry to him. Otto submitted an equally good question.

They had endured enough surprises for one trip.

Marakai2.0

  • Guest
Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2017, 10:08:22 am »
It really was a wonder, the things life seemed capable of throwing in one's direction. The last several days had been full of ups and downs, and a couple of twists and turns, and it was to the point that Vargas had little hope of predicting what was around the next corner of this topsy-turvey little adventure he'd joined in on.

It had started with that job with Kirkley, maybe a couple of weeks or so ago, one that had seemed random and out of the blue - the many drinks Vargas had consumed since then made the memory very blurry and unfocused, but the gunner did remember one thing: that paycheck had quite a bit of zeroes on it.

And he'd risked all those zeroes almost in a single sitting, one that had turned massively in his favor into the greatest kind of payout he could have hoped for - a simple poker game with a group of individuals who were, surprisingly, more drunk than him at the time had won him the entire pot, almost doubling his money and winning him the most unexpected of prizes.

He'd won a goddamn gunship. Couldn't fly the damn thing, yet, but that was soon to change, it seemed.

And since then, again out of the blue, he'd been invited to join this motley crew - permanently. He'd jumped at the chance, packed his things, and dove right in.

And then things got weird. They'd gained a stowaway, who had apparently smuggled herself onboard when Hesperus and himself were picked up, and she'd decided to make herself known at what couldn't have possibly have been a worse time. As pretty as she was, she was an odd one. Interesting, and very pleasant to look at, but odd.

But that was then. And here they were now.

Vargas stared up at this 'Shen' who, unless the gunner had been well and truly pickled and couldn't even remember  (which was impossible, he hasn't had a drink since early the last morning, dammit), had shortly before been a large bird creature hellbent on their destruction amongst the asteroids. He understood why and how the personality change had come about, sort of - some giant black leechgrubworm things he'd happily blasted into oblivion - but still.

This guy was a man. Um. Kinda. The bubblewand in place of Shen's head still threw him off, especially once he'd noticed it never seemed to face a different direction no matter what angle Vargas looked at it from. But the fact that really confused him was the fact that, only minutes before, he had clearly been a bird. Thing.

Fuck me. I need a drink. That was the prime thought amongst all others as he brought birdnotbird Shen a cup of coffee, since Kirkley had said it had been quite some time since he'd had it. Even more so once Shen simply tucked the cup within his coat and seemed to....stretch...sli ghtly, before he produced the cup again, sans coffee.

Aesir took the words right out of his mouth, on that one.

Otto posed another good question, which Vargas decided to follow with another. "Besides what to expect, where is it that we're going? I mean...transport? How does that work?" Vargas generally wasn't the one to ask questions - he was literally there to just man the guns, as it seemed there were more than enough men present to pilot the ship - but the entire thought of finding a place worth called a 'vacation spot' in an asteroid belt was only...slightly confusing.

Offline Blink

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2017, 11:31:28 am »
It was all just more evidence of how 'lucky' Dez actually was. First, she thought she had scored so big when crawling into that crate. She had thought she read the label correctly and could've sworn it was destined to be heading somewhere far far away on a ship that was in fact, not this one. Luck only continued to roll in like a set of snake eyes as the ship she had managed to wind up on was staffed with passengers who were less than pleased with her status.

'Stowaway, intruder... annoyance.'

Dez had been called worse things in life by far worse people. Regardless of how they thought, she had gotten on the ship Dez knew all of this was just another scene passing by. Time and time again she had landed in situations similar to this one (minus the being attacked by a headless chicken). Dez would appear and be shunned, therefore making her resort to whatever it took to make her life just slightly less 'unlucky'. Looking out for number one had always been what kept her alive and this situation was no exception.

As everyone filed in Dez took mental note of each face. The man who had given her the puzzle in the very beginning. He seemed nice then, must've eaten something green based on the sourpuss look on his face now. Sourpuss.... yes. The other small one, the one who danced with her in the hangar and copped a feel to grab her Com, Chickenman. There was, of course, the one who made funny noises at her. His eyes were odd and based on the number of lovely candies she found in his ship Dez just assumed that one just had no brain left... she liked him, Candyman.

With hands in pockets, Dez squinted at the one with horns. He deserved a very special name, one worthy of someone who locks people in tiny compartments with nothing but a half-eaten bag of cheese poofs to survive on for eternity. Horny Spider, Seemed fitting in more ways than one. Next would have to be the young one. Dez squinted again as she wracked her brain for a name befitting such an odd duck, Skip

Her blackjack nemesis also deserved a special name, one that probably came the easiest of them all, BlackJack. This brought Dez full circle to the one she could tell hated her the most. His name would have to be the most special of them all. One befitting of someone who clearly hated everything about her. He seemed to have a knack for instructing the others to lock her up or detain her in some way. Clearly he was Warden Kittypants.

With names sorted out Dez was able to finally pay attention to what they were all going on about. Something about Mr. Hoophead and his jacket? Wait... Vacation? Dez emerged from the land of giants and waved her hand to get attention.

"I pose the same questions as Candyman and Chickenman. Also at what point am I being thrown out the air vents, Warden Kittypants? "

Her tone was calm and almost monotone as if being thrown off a ship into oblivion was a walk in the park.

Offline Lion

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2017, 01:56:15 pm »
Nero very rarely planned ahead - or worried about expectations. Going with the flow tended to suit him best in his experience. There were no guarantees, no surefire expectations that he was going to wake up the next morning or live through the rest of the week. Heh - 'live' was surely a fine way of putting it. This was the most static he'd been in well - he honestly couldn't really remember. Time tended to bleed in on itself that way, like segments of watercolor had droplets of water dabbed over them.

Nero closed his eyes, trying to focus, the picture not at all becoming clearer. And all he could feel were the flashbacks of emotion, the white-hot in his veins of fear and adrenaline shooting through him like the most raw high he'd ever felt. But it wasn't quite like being lightyears away, in fact he couldn't have been more alert, and every sound became a blaring wail. Vargas firing off that gun, Otto directing orders through the comm, the feeling of being hollowed out at the thought that Kirkley was really dead.

He knew he couldn't die. Not really. And neither could Nero. He'd go on, and Kirkley would go on - even if the latter had give or take a few ten thousand years ahead of him. 40 years older than where he should have been, four decades out of a nameless hole he probably would have been buried in. At least, it would have been a decent finale. He wouldn't be sad about it, no songs need be sung, no epitaphs, no eulogies. Only good men got those. Only good men died young.

And that was a ferry for which he had no credits to pay the fare.

But that knowledge, did nothing to stop the coldness that clenched at his gut. Because it didn't matter if he died - but he'd be damned if he was going to sit by and do nothing whilst the captain was out there. Not while he could do something. It didn't even skip a beat, that thought process, not a second of hesitation. Never had a decision been clearer than to suit up, to venture into that cold vacant black, to cradle Kirkley's fat head in the crook of his arm from giant birdfish that had suffered awful parasitic lacerations. He wasn't going to lose his package (regardless if that job had been over and done with), he was going to bring him back, he wasn't going to have another Kincaid...

The hollowed out feeling came back with a vengeance. He failed that job. The one job he'd said he'd never fail. Nero ducked his head and felt horrifically sober the last few days. Lay low, don't make ripples, he was good at that. Make sure the rest of the cargo on board - ie, the crew - was fine. Wolf had needed someone, even if he'd said nothing, even if the little electronics he'd asked about afterward were filler to make sure the little guy was right enough to be alone. Nero couldn't be sure, far be it from him to understand the nuances of giving distance.

But in that time, he hadn't even touched his newly acquired stash, the adrenaline still present, still sobering him, and the hollowed feeling making his veins itch, and he unconsciously favored a fang at the corner of his mouth. It didn't even matter that Kirkley was alive and well now. Was it something else? Nero never stared at death in the face so closely and flinched, no, the lows usually came afterward when he was stitching himself back together. 

Nero had made his way to deck when the rest of the crew had gathered, observing Bubblewand Man hug Hesperus with no shortage of affection. The hollowed out sensation made his chest burn, and he wished he'd at least brought a joint with him.  No, no. This was important. Pay attention. Nero reached up and shrugged his green jacket tighter around him, popping the collar and bringing his loose mauve hair up into a bun.

Best to have one less distraction in his face, eyes flicking to the others in the room. They were here, they were safe. So far anyway. Unexpectedly expected. He held his tongue, grin only curling much in the same fashion Otto's had when his eyes flicked to the blackhaired bugboy in the flight chair at Aesir's endless talent for observation. It was a good smile, and he deserved to smile more. The center of his left palm flared up in an itch, and he favored his fangs again, letting the prickling point force him to observe everyone else.

Wolf, however, still seemed tense, and Nero couldn't blame him. Poor guy. Vargas and Dez, seemed well enough to take it in stride. They didn't have any welling itchiness, or so he hoped. Placated calm, he told himself, and poised himself to the rear of the room, far enough away from Hesperus to keep the man from flat out collapsing in the midst of a debriefing. In the back was where he felt most comfortable anyway, a thought that only briefly abated the tingling he felt in his palm, and he kept his left hand curled, arms crossed over his chest.

Whatever it was, it was going to be interesting.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2017, 02:07:17 pm by Lion »

Cheesigator

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Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2017, 09:08:44 pm »
As Shen had spoken, Kirkley's eyes roamed over his crew, looking at each face individually and assessing their current state.

It wasn't good.

Not a single person in that room, save for the stowaway girl who he did not consider to be part of their crew, looked like they'd slept enough. Like they were awake enough. Like they were ready. For fuck's sake he was pretty sure at least one or two of them might be either drunk, in need of getting drunk, or potentially high. It made his heart clench and his gut twist with guilt.

Just several days ago they'd all been laughs, chipper fun and good times. Playing board games, snuggling, taking naps, enjoying the sense of family that many of them hadn't gotten to experience for a very long time. And within the space of a few hours he'd managed to take that all away.

Questions were asked and after a moment of silence, Shen glanced over to see his father looking nowhere in particular, glazed over and not really there. Even with Hesperus's arms around him, which Shen quite loved because it made his heart skip a few beats and bump a little faster in his chest, a bit of coldness settled in him because he knew where they were going. And he knew perfectly well why his father was distraught. Kirkley had told him during their visit outside how much this crew already meant to him, how much he loved every single one of them and Shen could see so plainly he was the happiest he'd been in a really, really long time. It made him feel worse knowing he'd scared them so, put them in danger, even though he knew he couldn't help it.

Shen tapped the pads of each index finger together nervously, waiting a moment or two, and when Kirkley didn't respond, he slid an arm out from Hes's grasp to touch his shoulder and communicate just with him.

"Dad, they asked their questions."

Kirkley jerked a little, and the motion of it made Shen flinch back in surprise, quickly looking back to the rest of those assembled in the room and resuming communication with them with his telepathy.

"Um. Yes I--mouth is in here," He tapped at his chest, his anxiety spiking as Kirkley rubbed his face tiredly, for a brief moment looking as old as he really was. Well. Almost.

"We go a place dad does not like but is safe. You go. I stay. You go through here," Shen pointed to the ring and flames of his head, "This is transport."

"This is why I didn't want to talk about it until now, at least not on open chat servers. Shen is capable of creating portals to other dimensions, among other things," Kirkley suddenly spoke up, his voice nothing short of tense. It made Shen's shoulders hunch up a bit. "If we go through the ring we'll get teleported wherever he sends us; he's the safest way of travel without being followed."

With every word whatever cheerful attitude he'd had earlier wore away and it became clearer and clearer that Kirkley wasn't pleased with where they were going; something was weighing heavy on his mind, the memory of a very specific grave and a pang of emotion made his voice warble briefly.

"We're going to The Meeting Place."

He said it with such finality, such a heavy note, looking at his crew with an obvious wall put up between them and his emotions, because he had way too many and he couldn't let a single one escape or he'd crumble to pieces, and that was unacceptable--particularly in front of Aesir. Of all the people in this room, this journey was specifically for him, and for a brief moment Kirkley's gaze landed on him again, not having laughed at his earlier question, and absolutely terrified that something might happen to the boy that could never be undone... But what other choices did he have?

"Meeting Place is ancient," Shen quickly chimed in, the state of his father making him a bit nervous, it was sometimes so hard to tell how the old man would react to things. "Is last hope, protect by two guardians, only one still alive today," He hesitated a moment, gloved hands clenching into fists, his body making the slightest movement in Kirkley's direction to which the ancient shifter's jaw just set more firmly as he ground his teeth and said nothing.

"The other still stay there... Is safe place for all to meet. No weapons. No bad intent. Please... Do not harm the plants or animals there. They are last left. Please respect it. Please."

"There shouldn't be anyone there, it's usually pretty vacant," Kirkley looked away as he spoke, his shoulders tense as he put his hands into the pockets of his void suit which he'd neglected to take off earlier. "Just plants, wildlife--what little is left, anyways. What Shen said is true--no weapons, and for fuck's sake no trash," He glared at the stowaway girl, "Respect it if at the very least for the one person who has never left it."

He had to stop himself short at that before any more anger seeped into his voice; fucking anger, regret, because he couldn't protect Bifrost or keep him safe from death, couldn't find him again soon enough, that he'd had to die at all and it was such a spiraling whirlwind of emotions he could barely hold back with all the stress weighing down on him. Remnants of Otto getting so upset with him about not giving Aesir the chance to get out for some fresh air passed briefly through his mind; for keeping him sheltered, for making his crew ever angry or upset with him, for almost losing his son, for arguing with Hes, it was all piling up and gods fuck it all he hadn't been with a crew in so long he'd forgotten how to keep these things under lock and key.

"We will exit the Loveless and go through Shen's portal on foot, protected by the atmosphere he provides for us--and when we're ready we will exit through the same portal we came in. Not a single soul is allowed to stay behind. Stick with the group and don't go wandering off, because there is no guarantee that dangerous things don't still live there. Is that clear?" He rumbled, looking over everyone very carefully to gauge their reactions.

Offline Draconian

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2017, 09:51:08 pm »
Ha. He knew it.

Aesir was pleased with his fantastic skills of observation when Shen confirmed that was indeed where his mouth was.  The air grew heavy though and Aesir's purple eyes were stuck on the big man beside the firey hoop guy. The rest of the room turned grey and fuzzy and he just... Watched Kirkley. Frowning ever so slightly while he listened to the pair speak. Transportation was the headhoop? Yeah okay. That wasn't weird.

Then again. Aesir listened but slowly looked down at his hands. The scars over his finger tips that never stayed long but... He made new ones. He thought to the plants in his room and how just a few drops of blood when he watered them kept them... Beautiful. A sigh and he tried to imagine this 'Meeting Place' - boring name.

Two guardians. One was there. One was... Somewhere else? Aesir was mostly trying to imagine it still, his eyes sort of glazed because... Sure, Margad had green stuff but it never felt quite right there. Just like Space doesn't feel right. Aesir pressed his fingertips together, realizing he was still staring at them. The Meeting Place. He'd never heard of it before. Right?

The words felt familiar though. Maybe he dreamed of it? A slow breath in. Slow exhale. He moved his hands to his hair to draw his fingers through it, looking through the crew at Kirkley who seemed so tense and withdrawn. He opened his mouth. Wanting to say something - anything - to lighten the mood. Instead, he just backed up as far as he could go while remaining in the room, stopping only when he felt a cold wall through his shirt against his back.

Why did this make his heart beat so fast? He'd never heard of this place before but... He needed to be there. Aesir needed to go there. He also needed to calm down first. So, he let himself slide down the wall until his butt was on the floor and he was taking deep calming breaths. Odd reaction to seeing some actual real green stuff that may or may not be infested by monsters. Did he want to go? He wanted to go.  There was something important there. He didn't know how he knew it, but he knew it.

Offline GoblinFae

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2017, 04:17:05 pm »
Trust the others to bring up the real questions. It was their newcomer, Dez, though that amused the demon enough to snort into Shen's shoulder and shake with laughter. Warden Kittypants? Oh that was a good one, he would have to remember that for when Kirkley was being particularly irritable and getting his panties in a wad over something stupid. Perhaps when things all blew over in a few decades. Hesperus had time and patience enough to bide his time on this until then.

Golden eyes lifted, dark pupils constricting to fine lines as Kirkley failed to answer his chosen men. Shen's words were mere buzzing in Hesperus's ears as he had eyes only for the captain. Then Kirkley finally spoke and his whole body tensed at the sound of the old sky dog's voice. Something was very much not right and instinct alone told Hesperus to be wary and on guard. There was a seriousness in the captain that frightened him. Centuries upon centuries ago dark laughter and a cruel sneer might have accompanied it. Those dark days the demon could handle but this walled off Kirkley was another matter entirely. He did not know how to feel other than to want to take care of number one.

Hesperus squeezed Shen tightly once more before gently releasing him and drawing back to the wall. His fight or flight response was running on overdrive. All he wanted to do was bolt, fire up The Innuendo, and get the hell out of dodge. He had no doubt he could beg Shen to help him escape too. Hesperus was not blind to the male's attraction to him though they had never acted upon it. All he needed was a portal near to some civilization and he would figure out the rest. He always did. But, for all the things Hesperus was, all the things he did, he could not bring himself to be that cruel, to abuse someone's affection towards him for the sole purpose of using and abandoning them. He was not that person. Gold eyes flashed to Kirkley at the thought before he dropped his head and crossed his arms, needing something to do with his high-strung body.

The problem was not Shen though, or even Hesperus himself. It was that there was nowhere he could run that Kirkely would not find him. There was no escaping the warden, as Dez had aptly called him, who refused to let the Incubus go. Wherever they were going to go, whatever they were going to do, Kirkley had wanted him there and for that he was doomed to follow the captain just as he always did. Hesperus was a pet who would perform every trick he knew to please the man and then some. He nodded his head curtly, not trusting his voice to not betray him right then.

The name, The Meeting Place, so common and yet so weighty feeling filled Hesperus with dread. He could only imagine what such a place was. In all his centuries of life he had not once heard of it, nor had Kirkley ever mentioned it even in those forever lost almost tender moments of long ago. Yet, there was no doubt in the demon's mind that he was not going to like being there.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Aesir also retreated before sinking to the floor. For a brief moment his heart crushed in on itself as he saw Tyr there and felt himself almost taking a step forward to comfort him. But, then reason struck him and his breath hitched as it always did when he thought of his beautiful lover. This was just another cruel joke of Kirkley's and although Aesir was beautiful, he was not Tyr. Long fingers dug into the tattoo along his ribs as he fought back memories he was not in the mood to relive of either of the men his heart had been cursed to beat a little bit faster for.

Now was not the time or place but when this was all over Hesperus was sure he would be demanding Kirkley to dump him off somewhere again. He had been wrong. He never should have allowed himself to succumb to this desire again. It only ever hurt him in the end. Even one such as him could endure only so much before they broke and Hesperus had been broken by it all a long time ago.

Offline nephero

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2017, 07:43:18 pm »
   The injida was wearing off. He hadn’t been too far gone— not nearly enough, anyway, and with his metabolism that was a harder line to reach than most. With the absence of the wibbly-wobbly sensation, of course, came the feeling of everything happening in sharp, frosty clarity, and Otto took a steadying breath as the game plan (if it could be called that) was discussed. With some considerable prompting, anyway. Otto wasn’t sure how he felt about that, just that he felt A Lot of it, and so realized that staring at Kirkley right now was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. Which definitely didn’t help how he was feeling, but fuck if it weren’t the truth.

   Otto glanced to the side as the hairs on his neck stood on end, the boarders buzzing quietly in their ever-alert way until he took notice. He caught Nero’s eye, his expression, the way he shrugged into his jacket and pulled his hair back and did his best impression of someone who was perfectly focused. A quick smile when he caught Nero’s eye, a silent little marker of camaraderie. Honestly, if he had to pick one person to be the most thankful for right that moment, it had to be Nero. He’d done so much when shit went so far south, and even beyond that, had been such a good friend since they’d all started working on the Loveless together. He could always count on the strange man, which was an odd thought all on its own. But a comforting one nonetheless.

   More itchy buzzing, and Otto had to unplug from the ship just to keep the stimulus at a manageable level, nerves too fried to try and keep up with little alerts about systems checks on top of everything else. As he moved, however, something Off caught in the corner of his eye, beyond just how tense the gathered crew members looked. Which was fair all on its own— Kirkley didn’t exactly make this Meeting Place sound quite like the ‘vacation spot’ that had previously been implied, and after what they’d all dealt with, more “dangerous things” was the last thing they all needed.

   But all that didn’t matter in the slightest, not when Otto caught Not Quite Right motions, his boarders buzzing harsh in his veins, on full alert with no chemicals to abate them. Even behind all the others gathered, he saw how Aesir stopped, saw the distance in the young man’s eyes, saw the unconscious combing of his hair. All the outward signs that something was wrong.

   But this was also Aesir. And Otto was terribly sure that any attempts to draw attention to any of this would be met with some dismissive remark, something about being tired, something about sleep, or something about being entirely fine even when Aesir was anything but fine. He was so hard to figure out, but he was also… young, and who in their entire lives could say they weren’t utterly impossible to predict when they were that age?

   More secrets. And much like with Kirkley, Otto wasn’t sure he liked it. And much like with Kirkley, Otto hated himself for not liking it. The poor kid had enough to deal with without anyone making a fuss; being in space after being planet-side his entire life (Otto could sympathize. The first time he set foot on terra firma had been in his early twenties and after he’d gotten married), having space continually try to do them a murder, and whatever… thing Kirkley was keeping to himself on top of all of that. It was frustrating, so frustrating, and Otto was amazed Aesir hadn’t lost his shit long before this. Otto wasn’t sure his eighteen-year-old-self would have been nearly so complacent.

   Nah. Otto was pretty sure he’d have started minutely sabotaging the ship if it’d been him. Flushing all the toilets all at once every time a door opened and shut. That sounded hilarious.

   He stretched out his legs, slow and casual, before standing up, leaving his laptop and wires in the flight chair as he crossed to the back of the room, and slid down to the floor beside Aesir, their elbows only a handful of centimeters apart. Wordless, letting everything else continue as normal, but at least this way he could keep his legs stretched out and let the cool metal of the ship keep him grounded. Some minor numbing sensation was better than none, and if that also meant Aesir didn’t have to be quite so alone, well. Bonus.

   …Well, that and the anger bubbling beneath Kirkley’s words had his bugs all sorts of twitchy, and the more distance he got from that the better.

   “No weapons,” Otto said, finally, if only to break the silence, “and keep together. Is simple enough. At which time are we departing--”

   A pause, before Otto finished, “Warden Kittypants?”

Offline Zero Undead

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2017, 08:50:46 pm »
Wolf would have loved to analyze Shen under other circumstances. Just sit down and gather all sorts of data about the odd god-bird. How many beings consumed things via their chest? The universe held so many strange mysteries that he felt as if he’d barely scratched the surface of learning anything at all. If only he could focus on something so benign.

They were going somewhere that Kirkley apparently didn’t like. A place he had previously had the audacity to call a vacation spot while now explaining it was dangerous and there were to be rules as the price of entry.

Maybe the idea of portals to alternate dimensions would have peaked his interest several days ago, but having it explained to them now, with the tension and the fear of what else they might not know – and they obviously knew very little – turned his normal curiosity sour. The idea of travelling through this portal Shen would create for them to a place known only as The Meeting Place made Wolf’s skin itch and crawl even worse than before.

What about weapons? They were forbidden to take any but Wolf wasn’t sure his entire being didn’t count. Were the nanites classifiable as a weapon? There was no way to know without asking, but to ask was to have to explain himself and he was afraid to do that too.

More than anything, it was the finality of it all that put Wolf the most on edge. Kirkley spoke as if there was no choice in this. They were all going through this portal to this strange place, and something about the delivery suggested that there would be no argument on the matter. Why had they not been warned about all of this before entering the asteroid belt? Wolf felt that this entire flight was an entrapment of some form. First not warned about the nature of their destination, and now left with no choice but to push onwards with no way out except Kirkley’s way.

Wolf wasn’t the only one with a strong reaction to it all. His eyes naturally were drawn to Aesir when the young man began backing up to the wall before ending up sitting upon the floor. Watching made his gut clench, his first instinct was to rush to make sure he was alright, but instead he forced himself to stay tucked against his own section of all. Otto was going to Aesir, they didn’t need him.

It wasn’t like he would have been able to do any good.

Turning his attention back to Kirkley, Wolf spoke for the first time since they had gathered, “What if I don’t want to go?”

His face was burning and he lowered his eyes to the floor, arms hugging himself as he avoided looking at any of the others. Even if he felt that the answer was already obvious - yes they all had to go – he felt compelled to at least ask. Just because you knew you would not like an answer didn’t mean you shouldn’t ask a question.

Offline Lion

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2017, 03:40:42 pm »
No, no it didn't sound good at all. But then again, things rarely sounded good. Sometimes it got to the point where you could consider a magnet for this kind of thing. Nero didn't. Very little of him was particularly magnetic or drawing, but when it came to falling into not-good situations, he didn't know anyone else that was better at it. And yet, somehow, in the emptiness, a vaguely comforting thought passed through his psyche and made his heart clench and the hollowness abate a little more. The thu-thump of blood, still pumping through him, made a small hiss pass through his teeth.

If they were going to a place that could still be dangerous, at least they weren't alone. Nothing regarding what Kirkley said fazed him, or raised hackles on the back of his neck. In fact, having something resembling a vague plan of attack brought a small chill of comfort. Whatever was on the other side of that portal, caused him to release another soft hiss, and he favored his fangs again, tongue seeping out to lick his lips.

Where they were going: no weapons, no violence, nothing Nero was good at.  Well if he didn't know what made him feel more useless, he didn't know, but still, he said nothing. He could leave his whip behind although the thought made his palms itch and his chest clench again. He'd never parted with that old braided band of worn leather for longer than a few hours. It was the only thing he'd had of old Edanith, and he felt his pulse spike.

Expect the unexpected, right?  Right. Nero idly unhooked the thing from his belt, and hooked it up on something jutting from the wall beside him. One less possession and already he was feeling naked. Unconsciously his hand reached up to grasp around the red crystal cluster that he'd had made into a pendant. Red, and although it was his own pulse, he pretended it was coming from the cluster. Red, warm, home.

Otto moved out of the flight chair and sat down beside Aesir, he grinned a little, and jerked his head up to Kirkley. If Nero had to go the last place he'd call home right now, he'd be feeling exactly like Kirkley. The tension was thick and languid. Releasing a low slow breath Nero let a small playful smirk appear at the corner of his lips, the slip up toward his jaw curving in that cheshire grin.

He drew his vision down to poor Wolf, who didn't seem to be handling this well at all. Nero pushed himself from the wall and nudged him with an elbow. "Wolf, bud, sometimes we gotta do things we don't wanna do. Even if they're scary. Especially if they're scary. But you ain't alone. We're a real posse, space cowboys, huh. You got my back, I got yours."

After all, Wolf wasn't the only one wondering if they weren't fit to go through that portal. There was a little bit of monster in all of them, wasn't there? Or was it just him?
« Last Edit: December 17, 2017, 03:41:59 pm by Lion »

Marakai2.0

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Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2017, 05:50:34 pm »
For a moment, all Vargas could do was stand there and stare at Kirkley, a rather incredulous look plastered on his white face, though perhaps his inky eyes were less than a perfect at conveying the emotion. Something Warden Kittypants (as Vargas had decided Kirkley would forever know him has, after much stifled snickering) said threw a multitude of red flags for the gunner, warranting the look currently on his face.

They were told not to bring weapons. And that it could be dangerous.

What.

Slowly, he glanced around at the other members of the crew, sizing them up against whatever 'dangerous' could mean. The first, obviously, was Kirkley. Big, well muscled guy, who had recently survived - or was it returned from the dead? - the vicious assault of whatever knew how many of those weird wormleech things. The ability to survive anything would certainly come in handy. Next was Nero. Guy seemed strong, maybe a bit on edge from time to time for reasons that Vargas surmised were similar to his own. Seeing him hang his whip on the wall and grasp the red thingy around his neck reminded Vargas of his own discomfort at going in weaponless. At least he wasn't alone, in that.

Closest to him at the moment was Dez...he wasn't sure if she counted as a crew member, but according to Kirkley everyone was going, and so he looked her over as well. She'd broken out of her own cell, somehow, as well as broken into both the Skorpion and Ironsides. That made her resourceful, at the very least.

He could see Wolf, off by himself, and gave a small smile. The kid - was he a kid? By human standards, he was middle aged, it seemed - was smart, seemed to suddenly know things that he hadn't before. Vargas had no doubt he could easily take care of himself if the need arose.

Still with Shen was Hesperus. Hesperus was...something else, to be sure. Sometimes, cool as hell, others not so much (bastard denied Vargas alcohol, FOR SHAME), but all the same he looked as if he could be imposing it push came to shove. Looked like a cross between a wet dream and a demon from hell, so there were bound to be surprises hidden in there somewhere.

And then, in the back against the wall, were Otto and Aesir. Otto was second in command, Vargas knew, and seemed to be fairly capable of keeping a level head when shit hit the fan. Other than that, the gunner didnt have too much of an opinion of him, having spent only minimal time with him.

Aesir...Aesir made him wonder. Something told Vargas that, somehow, he was the most well protected of all of them. Despite his slight frame and constant lethargy, Vargas felt as though there'd be no issue. Besides, with everyone else present, surely he wouldn't be a worry.

The only issue Vargas could think of among any of them was....humans were squishy, fragile things. Sure, one - so far - seemed very sturdy and possibly immortal, but as of yet he knew little about the others. But he had a feeling that each of them, in their own way, could take care of themselves, even if they were squishy humans. Except Hes, who obviously was not. But, meh.

Confident that all would be well, Vargas turned again to look at Kirkley, and a broad smirk cracked his features. "Well, alrighty, then. If push comes to shove, I'll find a rock or something. Beat some heads in. Count me in, Cap'n." That grin grew yet wider, if that was even possible. "Even if I don't have a choice." His gaze flickered to Wolf as he said that, referencing his question. He had a feeling that Wolf would have just as little choice as anyone else. But hearing Nero say what he said reinforced his earlier thoughts - even if there were those among them that could not protect themselves, they were still protected.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2017, 05:59:38 pm by Marakai2.0 »

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Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #15 on: December 19, 2017, 08:14:51 pm »
Once again, the initial responses in the room weren't lost on Kirkley.

Their hesitance, their distrust, their unease was not lost on him.

He knew he was asking a lot of them; and it wouldn't have mattered if he'd asked this of them a month ago, or ten years from now. It would always be a lot, too much for any sane person to handle, not worth the trouble. Kirkley had never once kidded himself that he was worth the trouble to these poor mortals who only had so long to live, and the last thing he should ever do was burden their lives with his problems.

The people he'd gathered here on the ship right now, with the exception of Stowaway Girl, were the closest he'd felt to a real family of people in a really, really long time. This was the first time in decades he felt safe enough to open up to them, even if just a little bit, and every night he'd kept himself up a few minutes longer wondering if he should.

He knew he had a time limit, that much he had figured out from the previous incarnations he'd encountered. Only so long to get Aesir home before life decided to try and hit the reset button, again. And Kirkley was so tired of having everyone he loved and cared about taken away from him, especially that one person he loved the most in the entire universe. Just the thought of Bifrost's smiling face made his heart clench painfully and he had to blink some of the shininess of tears from his eyes.

He'd been arguing with himself constantly now, ever since he agreed to Otto and admitted that he needed to take Aesir to do the inevitable, if he had the right to. Did he have the right to take all of Aesir's potential life away from him, the same way he had with Bifrost? It was something he never quite forgave himself for. Was he being selfish, wanting Aesir to regain who he truly was and leave everything behind? Was Kirkley doing this for himself, or for Aesir?

He didn't know anymore.

He swallowed the thick lump in his throat, not noticing the way Shen shrunk away from him slightly once Hes had let go of him, his eyes on Aesir as he watched the young man slide down the wall. He twitched, about to go to him when another movement distracted him. Otto had risen from his seat and he paused, watching and fighting the urge to growl (not at Otto, just in general) as his second in command slid through the crewmembers to take a seat next to Aesir on the floor.

And the moment he did, and the moment Kirkley saw the two of them sitting together there, all the emotions swelling and raging inside of him quelled, at least for the time being. He still felt the stress and anxiety gripping tightly at the base of his neck, threatening to sink its teeth into his skull and never let him go, but he could fight that back well enough. It was everything else on top of that that he couldn't handle this very moment; and yet in doing such a simple thing, Otto had managed to abate all of it.

He saw his two precious boys sitting there next to each other, safe, and he let out a slow breath through his nose as he visibly relaxed a little. He was still here, still in the present, and he couldn't afford to keep letting himself get distracted when he had a crew to lead, a family to protect.

Wolf had asked if he had to go, and the question hurt. He couldn't blame the younger man for asking, he wouldn't have wanted to if he was in Wolf's shoes either.

None of them had any idea what they were in for, and to a certain extent, neither did Kirkley. He had vague memories from the first time, but things had changed now. They were all about to get very wrapped up in their captain's personal life, and as much as he wished he could, he couldn't give them a choice in the matter.

Nero, gods bless his soul, spoke up and Kirkley noticed he'd hung that precious whip of his on the wall, and his breath caught in his throat as he heard the man speak. He was nothing short of an amazing person, which he might not've thought at first when they originally met. He'd done wonders so far on this ship, keeping Aesir and Otto both company, and Wolf he'd heard, checking in on everyone and doing a damn good job at keeping stress to a minimum as much as possible. Kirkley knew he owed him, big. And hearing Nero say that he was in on this relieved him even further--Vargas chiming in in agreement only further helped.

He stood there in silence for a moment or two, taking the sight of all of them in, glancing over his shoulder at Hes and for a brief, brief moment, letting him see the pang of regret on his face. He wished he didn't have to drag anyone into this. He wished he didn't have to do it at all, and to a point no, he didn't have to.

But if he wanted Aesir to live? Then he didn't have a choice.

"... I understand your apprehension," He said, his tone of voice having considerably evened out after taking a moment to steel himself, "But my reasons for disliking where we're going are entirely personal. You don't have anything to fear--I'd protect each and every one of you with my life." His gaze flickered briefly to Dez; he didn't know her, but he didn't wish her harm, despite his earlier threats. She was included in that bunch.

"If I could let some of you stay I would, however," Here he shifted his stance a bit, sliding his thumbs into the pockets of his void suit as he resisted the urge to look at Hesperus, "I can't protect you if you aren't there with me. Shen will protect Loveless as he can, but if something happened to this ship while the rest of us were gone..." He didn't need to finish the sentence, at least he felt he didn't, his brows knitting with heartfelt concern that resonated with his soul.

If something happened to any of them he'd never forgive himself for it. No matter what. And he knew that very well.

Here he forced himself to smile, raising his eyebrows just slightly at Otto as he finally answered his first mate's question. "We'll be leaving in exactly eight hours. Time to get in a few hours of sleep, rest up, and all that--and that's Captain Kittypants."

He paused a moment, smirking softly as he wracked things over in his brain to make sure he'd covered everything he needed to, and he felt he had. The rest would all make sense when they got there--because they wouldn't believe him otherwise.

"You're all dismissed--if you have individual questions or concerns you're more than welcome to come find me and we can talk in private."

He just hoped they wouldn't worry themselves too much, because at the very least it would be a new experience for all of them. He just hoped it wasn't horrible.

He stepped over then, fighting the need to put urgency in his walk as he decidedly stayed calm, coming over to Aesir and Otto and crouching down in front of them, raising his eyebrows and nodding his chin at them.

"Are you both okay?" He asked quietly, looking more to Aesir as he asked the question, though it was meant for both of them.

He stole a glance over his shoulder in Hesperus' general direction, wishing he could ask him the same thing, yet he also had the feeling that if he had asked he wouldn't have gotten a straight answer, if he got one at all. Checking on him would be the next battle plan, and then Wolf, Nero, Vargas, and Stowaway.

Offline Blink

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #16 on: December 19, 2017, 09:39:14 pm »
It would have been too easy for Dez to keep Warden Kittypants going, saying something that would undoubtedly get her into more trouble. Then again, who would that help? Everyone else already seemed to be in some kind of gloom, well except for Chickenman, so pissing off their 'Captain' probably wasn't a good step to take at the moment.

He still hadn't answered her question about the air ducts, she was curious if this 'Meeting Place' had any. Wasn't the first time she had been threatened like that, in truth she kinda got excited about that kind of stuff. All of it gave her something to add to the list, things that made her skin thicker and kept that delightful personality intact. It was easier to piss people off if you knew that was all you were good at.

Moving on.

Scanning the room Dez noticed that Candyman had gotten up, leaving his stuff in a chair that was absolutely calling her name. It was practically screaming at her. "Come sit in me Dez. Come swivel me to your heart's content and all will be right in the universe!" And who was Dez to deny a simple chair such a request?

Moving across the room she made sure to gently place Candyman's things on the console once she reached the chair. After that it was game on as she crawled into it, curling her legs up before pushing off. It was an added bonus when she reached for her Com and uncovered an uneaten cheese poof in her pocket. SCORE!

God life was great sometimes...

Offline Draconian

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #17 on: December 19, 2017, 11:58:46 pm »
Kirkley didn't want to go? He disliked it for personal reasons. Aesir didn't even notice Otto come by, didn't notice anything really until he moved his arm and bumped into the other mans. The contact made his head jerk up and he slowly looked to pale man, purple eyes wide. It took a moment, but he moved his arm to press fully against Otto's, slowly lifting his head while he relished the contact. His eyes lingered on everyone for a moment.

He didn't really know Hes or Vargas. His interactions with Nero and Wolf were friendly but nothing extensive. A few days. Aesir moved his hands to his face to press his palms over his eyes, breathing in slowly.  Tired. Always so tired. By the time Kirkley turned around, telling them they would be safe with him instead of safe alone on the ship with the ring-man Aesir's head moved to rest on Otto's shoulder and he stared ahead.

Trying to remember and think of something he'd never seen before but he knew he knew. A place that he was so sure he'd seen before. Been to before. At the sound of Kirkley's voice, Aesir lifted his head and slowly blinked, pushing his green hair from his face and chewing on his bottom lip.

"Yeah, I think so," He said as honestly as he could. "I think I'm going to go to bed before we go, I'm really tired," Aesir said softly, giving Otto's arm a squeeze and pushing himself up to stand, leaning heavily on the wall.  He flicked his eyes to the other crew members again. Staring at Hes for a moment before looking back at Kirkley. What a tangled web this all was. He couldn't see it but he wondered what tugging on one string would do to all the others.

Though, instead of going to bed, he smoothed a hand over Kirkley's shoulders and... Wandered to where wolf was, taking his elbow and slowly moving to hold the smaller mans hand in his own. "Have you ever seen nature before?" He asked softly, looking between Wolf and Nero, trying to alleviate some of the discomfort Wolf was clearly feeling. "I don't know where we're going but I can feel that it's really pretty. Maybe even comforting." He gave Wolf's hand a squeeze, "You trust me right?"

Offline GoblinFae

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #18 on: December 20, 2017, 07:28:28 pm »
Golden eyes looked toward Wolf as he spoke up and Hesperus found the corner of his mouth twitching the absolute slightest bit of ways in a mirthless smile. 'Right there with you puppy,' he quietly thought to himself. He knew the answer though without having to hear it verbalized aloud. What Kirkley said went. If the captain told you jump, you asked how high. That was just how it was done.

Seeing the crew rally around their disheartened friend though sent further pangs through Hesperus. What was he doing here? He didn't belong here. He was not needed. Kirkley had it all so why did he need his broken toy? Was it pity? Was it for old time's sake? The demon wasn't sure he wanted to know. The truth always hurt. You could sugarcoat a pile of shit, polish it until it gleamed like gold, but that didn't make it stop being a turd. That's what it all felt like to Hesperus, one giant, steaming pile of crap.

Then, Kirkley turned those pained eyes on him, looking so much like a kicked puppy that the Incubus felt his heart squeeze. He turned his head to look the other way, not wanting to see and get sucked into caring all over again. He could not do this right now. He needed to be whole and strong for whatever hell Kirkley was about to drag them into. The rest could be sorted out later. After all, who better than Hesperus could bury away their bleeding heart as if it was the smallest of paper cuts.

Hesperus stood up a bit straighter, uncrossing his arms the moment Kirkley said they were free to do as they pleased for the next few hours. It was all the incentive the demon needed to leave. His long fingers tangled with Shen's once more as he gently tugged the male into following and all but dragged them both out the door. He wanted nothing to do with lingering to see Kirkley coo over his new lovers and so he missed the look the older man sent him as he dashed out the door.

All he wanted right then was to wrap himself tightly about Shen and hold on for dear life. He had nearly lost a friend and that thought alone had scared him beyond compare. Perhaps it was selfish to keep him to himself or cruel to be so affectionate and not return the love Shen had for him the way he wanted, but Hesperus did not consider himself strong enough a man to resist. He found an empty crewman room and locked the door behind them moments before he flung his arms about the shifter's body and squeezed him so close he probably was crushing the poor man.

Damn Kirkley and damn his own foolishness. Hesperus felt like he was falling, crashing and burning into the atmosphere without anyone or anything to save him. He could not do this right now. Running his hands along Shen's suit to try to ground himself, the demon's voice cracked and tears welled in his eyes as he whispered quietly. "I was afraid we'd lost you. Shen I was so scared for you," he cried, burying his face in that warm shoulder. "Are you really alright? This isn't all too much for you?" Hesperus swallowed thickly and nuzzled against the body held so firmly within his arms even as his own began to tremble with the stress of the world pressing in on him. His fears, his heartache, his argument with Kirkley, and the afters it was all building up against him. He didn't know how long he could hold on against the storm but he prayed to whatever deities might exist that it would be enough. All he needed was to do this "mission" and get out of there. He could do that.

But first, he wanted to enjoy the time he had with Shen. Having stared mortality in the face again, Hesperus knew time was fleeting. Who knows when he would see this friend again or if he ever would for that matter. Questions about Kirkley or where they were going were forgotten as Shen was nudged backwards so they both fell onto the bed. Hesperus would be selfish for as long as he could be. Perhaps not at the price of Shen's own heart, but he had earned that much. Kirkley would find him eventually however, until then he wanted to exist as only him and this dear creature for as long as he could. Maybe if he was very lucky, he would be forgotten altogether.

Offline nephero

Re: Point of No Return [Crew of The Loveless]
« Reply #19 on: December 20, 2017, 10:48:37 pm »
   No one could ever honestly criticize Wolf for his reluctance. After what the crew had endured? It was hard to be enthusiastic about going anywhere, let alone having to go someplace they wouldn’t be able to take weapons to. Already frayed nerves did not soothe with the idea they would all be utterly defenseless, and well…

   It really did beg the question of what would happen if one of them refused to go. Would they be forced? Did they even have a choice? Not for the first time Otto worried his lip over the consideration, especially when he looked to the side at where Aesir still sat, faraway and distant. It would be safer together. That much at least, Otto could believe. If any one of them had been on their own during that parasite attack, none of them would have survived. And when Aesir put his head on Otto’s shoulder, something rattling in his chest told Otto that he never wanted to consider anything like that ever again.

   But how to put that into words? How to bring up reassurances that he himself could barely understand? How to translate intangible feeling? The Common language was a tricky thing, and not for the first time Otto felt rather trapped inside his own head for want of an effective translation.

   Luckily, though, someone else rose to the occasion. Nero, bless every atom in his soul, chose that moment to speak up, and while the words were directed at Wolf, Otto couldn’t help but feel a little better for hearing them. They wouldn’t be alone. They all had each other’s backs, as they’d only just proven during their initial contact with Shen. What would have destroyed them individually, together they had locked down tighter than the last tank of oxygen. Space Cowboys. Otto wasn’t sure what that meant, but he liked the sound of it.

   Which seemed to be a common thread, considering Vargas chose to toss his hat into the ring with the kind of nonchalance that made you think this really was just some kind of team building vacation. They were together, and as the small man mentioned quite pointedly, they could improvise. Otto shifted his arm, slid it around Aesir’s, and squeezed it tight against his side in a kind of partial hug.
   
   Eight hours. It was so long a time to wait and yet somehow felt like not enough time at all. Otto was briefly awash with thoughts of all that would have to be done beforehand; adjustments to life support systems, securing cargo for an elongated absence, getting ready for said absence without getting caught in a wormhole of what-ifs. So distracted, Otto barely caught the tail end of Kirkley’s correction of his title, his lips twitching into an automatic smirk of amusement. He stood firmly corrected. Captain Kittypants.

   Hes evacuated the bridge almost as soon as the word “dismissed” left Kirkley’s mouth, taking Shen with him. Some bubble of concern welled up in Otto, but he wasn’t terribly sure if now was the… best time. There was something else going on there that eight hours simply would not cover, and so it was with mild guilt that he placed the quandary of Hes on the backburner and instead focused on what needed to be done in the now. There was just so much— if they wanted a ship to return to, that was. Otto rubbed at his face, missing the question of whether he and the younger man were all right.

   It wasn’t as if Otto would know how to answer that particular query. Not with 100% honesty, anyway, and anything less was unacceptable. Because he truly didn’t know. Parts said he was, parts said he wasn’t, and parts said that it didn’t matter. Urgent matters to attend to and whatnot. He blinked in mild surprise as Aesir squeezed his arm and got to his feet, the colonist looking up from where he was still seated on the floor. Only reluctantly did he actually let go of Aesir, missing the human contact almost immediately.

   But he could sympathize with his tiredness. It’d been a lot to take in, and sounded like there’d be a lot more. Otto sincerely doubted any of them had gotten any really decent rest, but Aesir most of all. It was a hell of a thing to have all this cascade on you, it was another hell of a thing to not even be in your twenties when it did. The Loveless’ first mate watched Aesir go, expecting him to do much the same as he’d always done and make a beeline for his bed. He hadn’t been expecting Aesir to stop by Wolf, murmuring quietly beside him and Nero.

   If Otto wanted to, he could have easily eavesdropped, the soft hiss of hushed voices picking up without much effort on the boarders’ part. But after the first few words, Otto forcibly turned his attention back to Kirkley. That was a moment between Aesir and Wolf. He was proud of that, glad to know that this was the kind of people who crewed the Loveless— good, kind, considerate, supportive, and all despite barely knowing one another. Just knowing that was enough; he wouldn’t intrude on it any further.

   Especially when the slow rotation of Dez in his flight chair finally proved to be entirely to distracting to ignore. Whatever that girl was on, it had to be some seriously good stuff. Otto was half tempted to genuinely corner her and ask for a hit, but again, exhaustion reared its ugly head and he was left on the impossibly comfortable floor. He glanced over at where Kirkley was still crouched, and gave him a wan smile. Just enough to show that this would all be fine.

   They’d already dealt with ravenous space leeches. The worst had to be behind them.

 

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