Remnants of the Earth
SPACE STATIONS => The Cancer => Topic started by: Anonymous on January 09, 2008, 12:41:21 am
-
Svindri got off the transport ship and moved quickly to the side, letting the crush of people push past her. She preferred to move at her own rate, taking everything in. This was the second Seruna station she'd been on so far. The first had been a small one, not really much more than a motel and store, though it had been pleasant enough. She'd stayed there a few weeks before the itch had gotten her again and she'd scraped together her money for a trip to the Cancer station. One of the boys had described her to it and it seemed the perfect next stop on her exploration.
Now she was here, however, she realised she had no money. And no idea what to do. So she contented herself with walking around, large ears open wide to drink in all the sounds that told her about the place. It was noisy in the Red District, where she was. To another being with sensitive ears this would have been hell, but it was food and drink to Svindri and she pushed back her pale green hair in order to hear better.
"Look at that one," a low, appraising voice said quite a way from her, following an impressed whistle. She turned casually to see what the voice and whistle were talking about and saw two smartly dressed men staring at her. They did not leave off even when she looked directly at them. Indeed, they seemed to take it as encouragement, because they both started for her.
Svindri did not like what she thought she could feel coming off them (it was a busy place and there were a lot of people around so she couldn't be sure of their emanations) but she had no other reason to be alarmed, so she tensed her muscles a little, making her hard all over, and waited for them to reach her.
"Hello, darlin'", said the one who had whistled before in a smooth voice, a charming but chilling smile on his face. "You're new here, ain't ya?" His accent contrasted sharply with his appearance, which was humanoid and neat. "I am," she said carefully, trying to get a feel for his mood. It was mostly calm with a hint of excitement.
"Let us show you around, maybe get you a job," interjected the other one, moving to stand beside his partner. Svindri shook her head immediately. "No, thank you," she replied firmly. "I would like to fend for myself." Both the men's faces hardened and the one with the weird accent put a hand around her arm. Svindri glared at him. "Let me go." He jeered at her, no trace of his charming smile left. "No. You'll make good material for the whore-hunters on Aedolis."
Scared now, Svindri quickly took the muscle closest to the top of her arm and hardened it, jabbing through her skin into the man's hand. He let go with a yell, cradling his injured hand with the other. As soon as he loosened his grip, Svindri grabbed her bag and ran away. Her lungs easily handled the extra exertion and she didn't pant or get tired, so she had soon left the men behind.
Slowing down and stopping, she let herself relax all but her main leg and back muscles. They hurt from the sudden use. "Maybe coming here was a mistake," she said to herself sadly as she leaned against a wall.
-
Nraig silently watched from a distance, hand upon his ion pistol in case things got too nasty. Fortunately the girl, or rather, that's what it looked like, managed to skirt away, hurting one of the men somehow, following her at a safe distance Nraig managed to push his way through the crowd, tracking her movement easily, well experienced from tracking well painted ships in the infinite blackness that was space with just his eyes. He found her panting against a wall and cautiously approached her, as any other male going toward her she might kill this time. Hands slightly raised he stopped a reasonable distance away from her, "Are..you ok...miss?" He questioned, not changing the distance nor placement of his hands, he studied her, noting that he had not seen this species before, blue skin, thin braids of hair, and no nose to speak of. Despite these qualities she did seem to carry about her a beauty that did not necessarily pertain to looks mainly, there was something else. For the time being he would be sure that she was safe, looking over his shoulder he checked to see if the men were following or somehow managed to pinpoint her location.
OOC:
Edit- Oops, forgot the closed itallics >< Stupid me
-
Svindri looked up as someone spoke to her, immediately wary. The words were not aggressive, however, and the young man standing looking at her did not seem to be coming any closer. "Are you ok, miss. I'm fine," she said wearily, not seeing that he did not look quite normal for a human. "Just tired."
She tried to stand up properly and managed it, her muscles grumbling at her as she tensed them again for the movement and then to keep her steady. When standing her head was above his - unsurprising seeing as most Bellinese were taller than humans. Svindri noticed he had a weapon with him and did not let herself relax entirely, lest he want to shoot her.
"What of it is your business?" She asked him neutrally, her tone not accusing. Because of the closeness Bellinese had with each other they were used to being blunt with each other and neutral much of the time, as other Bellinese felt the meaning of their words anyway. She breathed out suddenly through her nose, a small sound.
-
Stepping back a step or two, startled at her height he found himself looking up to her. He kept his eyes on hers, forcing them to stay there and not roam her body like he did the others. She wouldn't like that either. Coughing trying to hide his suprise at her size he said, "Oh, thats good, just wanted to check on you, seemed you got in a bit of a fix." He made sure to position himself so that his pistol was in full view and at an angle to where it would be difficult for him to pull it out, hands still raised. With luck she would have the trained eyes to see what he was doing, and if not, God be with him. "I don't want to hurt you or anything Miss, just making sure your ok, and since you are I will be on my way. Good day." Giving a little bow he turned to go.
-
"I don't want to hurt you...that's good," Svindri repeated, before adding her reply at the end. She didn't even notice that she was repeating his words, so used to her Tourette Syndrome she had become. She blew out her nostrils a second time as she watched him move, not worried by him anymore. He wasn't emanating anything but concern and surprise (probably at her height).
She returned the bow without thinking about it, her mind instead on her encounter just before and the unfamiliarity of the Cancer station. "Wait!" She blurted as he turned to go, mind rushing to keep abreast of her mouth. "Do you, do you know this space station at all?" She blew out rapidly twice before continuing. "Because I don't know it at all and I don't want anymore unpleasant things like that happening." Her words come out in a spurt but her tone was mostly bland, not indicating distress or anything else, although she felt it slightly. "Can I come with you?"
-
The Captian turned, "Well, yes, I do know this station. To be honest, I was about looking for crew as some of my last..." He stopped, not really sure how she would take the fact that he was a pirate, probably kill him. He left the statement unfinished. He noticed her tone was somewhat monotone, very interesting species, he would have to find some information on them, just so he could avoid some cultural offence or something. "Sure, you can come, I have no problem with it, er, are you unarmed? Do you need something? Or are you fine like that?"
-
She snorted softly. "No, I'm fine like this. I never carry weapons." She stood looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to move so she could follow his lead.
[HA! Total shortness. Sorry but I couldn't be bothered trying to pad it ^_^]
-
Nodding he turned and began to push his way through the crowd, taking it slower than he usually did so that she could keep up. Reaching into his pocket he brought out a small earpiece which he stuck in his ear, it beeped once, then a voice came on, Yeah Capn'? Nraig smiled and answered, "Barrymore, good lad, I need you to take care of two goons for me. I'm sending you the cranial uplink." He pressed the earpiece firmly, waited a few seconds then asked, "You got it?" Barrymore laughed and probably nodded, "Yup Captain, we'll get these buggers for ya, take care now and don't get shanked. Nraig chuckled then checked back on the female behind him, "I won't, Barry, I'll see you at the ship in 3 hour." Killing communication he stuffed the earpiece in his pocket.
-
Svindri followed the funny-looking human, staying beside and slightly behind him. She snorted softly occasionally. She looked around Cancer, taking in everything she could, especially the sounds, and committing it to her memory.
When the man started talking she was startled, wondering what he was talking about. She snorted and was about to reply when she realised he must be talking to someone else, maybe over an earpiece. Suddenly she felt the sudden urge to copy his sentences. Urgently she suppressed it, knowing that it would seem very weird to copy his sentence when he wasn't even talking to her. She'd already had problems with people taking offence to her Tourette Syndrome before, though nothing leading to anything dangerous for her.
He put away his earpiece and she let herself speak. "What's your name? I'm Svindri." The urge for echolalia was still strong and she knew she'd have to succumb soon. She was used to it, however, so it wasn't even a conscious process. "Uh. Are you just going to walk around looking for crew?"
-
Nraig laughed and lead her to a bar where he seated himself, offering her a stool across from him, "Crew? I have found those already, I was looking for a drink." He ordered two and pushed hers over the bar to her, picking up his glass he raised it in a half toast, "Captain Nraig kel Mansa, at your service, ma'am. Any wrongs done? I can have that fixed." He winked as there were two bright flashes followed by a long pitiful scream which was cut off by another flash, looking out over the crowd he spotted a Tuathi head, his pilot as she moved stealthily through the crowd. She noticed him and gave him a nod, returning the nod he turned back to Svindri. "Hopefully you didn't know those two men who harrassed you, their...parting, might be painful." The crowd was calming down somewhat as deaths were quite frequent in their line of work. Nraig tossed back his drink and sighed as it spread through his system, a fiery warmth. "So, Svindri, what brings you here?"
-
"At your service, ma'am," she repeaated, sitting down opposite him. She took the drink and sniffed it suspiciously before shrugging and downing it. Whatever it was it couldn't hurt her. It was a cool drink, but it had a burn to it which made it warm. The taste was slightly like cinnamon, no doubt alcoholic. Svindri didn't care for it much and waved the bartender away when he came to pour her another. She ignored the wink Nraig gave her, slightly unsettled by what she thought he was offering.
A sudden scream and two strong pulses of terror and pain brought her instantly to her feet, setting her glass down suddenly. "What was that?" She asked urgently, worried that someone might be in trouble. She didn't see the nod Nraig gave to the Tuathi, though she saw hers without connecting it to him.
His words shocked her and she swung around, glaring at him in accusation. "That was your doing?!" She shrieked, sending nearby people to their knees with the volume and power of her voice. "You killed them?!" She probed for the presence of the men who had accosted her before and felt nothing. This proved that they had, somehow, been killed.
She backed away from Nraig, shaking with anger and revulsion. "You MONSTER!" Her voice was at a painful level now and those unlucky enough to have not taken the chance to scramble away got bloody hands as it trickled from their ears.
Unable to stand being in the presence of Nraig any longer she turned suddenly and strode away, pushing through people, snorting rapidly as she tried to gain hold over her emotions. She moved in the opposite direction to the dead men, knowing she wouldn't be able to collect herself if she saw their bodies.
-
He stood up immediatly, with the idea of following her and attempting to console her, however memory of what she did to the man who grabbed her gave him pause. He watched her retreating back, still dumb with silence at her outburst, he was under the impression that she would be pleased. It was quite logical really, they tried to take her as a prostitute, so he killed them, he couldn't really see how that would upset her. Reaching into his coat he brought out the ear piece, pressing it it hovered in his hands. "Follow her, make sure your not seen." He ordered it, it gave a beep and zoomed off over the heads of the patrons, keeping to the shadows, yet it's electronic eye following the oddly coloured female as she pushed and hurried her way away from the Captain. The fact that she called him a monster did not bother him, a lot of women called him a monster, the fact that she was displeased was a little unsettling, he couldn't figure out why. And finally, her voice, he had self sealing ear plugs, always did in the case that an earnade was set off in his vicinity. At her decible level they immediatly closed off his ears preventing damage, his eyes roamed over the figures on the ground clutching their bleeding sides. Wow, he thought, what a woman. He hoped that she hadn't taken his wink the wrong way, for some reason, everyone took his wink the wrong way. Sighing he watched her a little longer before turning back to join his crew.
-
Svindri couldn't collect her thoughts as she stumbled through the crowd, pushing past people roughly without seeing them or hearing their complaints about her rudeness. Her legs took her without direction. She knew only that she walked - not where.
Her sensitive ears kept working, however, and picked up a very slight whirring noise behind her. She paid it no heed, instead she kept worrying about the men who had died forher sake. THey had not been good men, no. But they should have had chances to one day maybe correct that and realise they were meant for better things. All people deserved that.
After several minutes she realised that the whirring sound was still behind her. It was very slight and she doubted any human could hear it. Her furry, cat-like ears were pricked in the direction of the noise and she could barely hear it. It was starting to bother her, because she hadn't heard it before in her life and it seemed to be following her.
Suddenly she spun around, trying to pick out what was making the noise. There were still quite a few people around, though less than before. Her eyes were not quick or sharp enough to see anything out of the ordinary, though. She turned back, wondering what to do to catch the noise-maker out. She had a hunch that it was connected to Nraig.
As the whirring sound came a little closer it hit her. She would have to use her ears to find out where it was and catch it somehow. She stopped casually and leant against the wall as though working out what to do next. Her ears caught the faint change in sound that meant the thing was coming a little closer. She bent over, pretending to examine her dark red boot. The thing whirred closer, perhaps to see what she was doing. She turned a little hide her actions; it came closer.
Finally it was close enough that she could, if she moved fast enough, grab the whirring thing. She carefully tensed the needed muscles and lashed out at the noise, not catching it but bashing it hard so that it fell to the floor. Before it could react she was upon it, holding it firmly in her hand. She nodded grimly, snorted silently a few times and started retracing her steps. Nraig's earpiece.
Her grief and madness was put away for now; she could mourn later. For now she had to find out why this man was killing other men randomly and then sending things to follow her. He could be dangerous and if he was a threat to society it was her responsibility to report him to authorities.
Marching purposefully she was soon back at the bar where she had left him. He was still there and she shoved his earpiece at him. "What do you think you are doing, sending this to follow me?" She snorted and looked at him angrily.
[[Sorry if you didn't like me controlling your NPC of sorts. I'll change it if you don't like it.]]
-
OOC: Naw, it's fine, this way I don't have to end up chasing you to apologize :P
Nraig turned once more, facing the large female now confronting him with his...earpiece. *gulp* Well...now...what to do? His mind kept flickering back to the men and what she did to them, however, using his famous smooth talking charm, he began, "I worried for your welfare, I wasn't going to allow any more happenings like that back there." He pointed over his shoulder at his crew who were now dragging away two bodies. "This right here," He continued pointing at the earpiece, "Was merely a little camera to watch you, it would do no harm." He leaned in to inspect his little robot carefully, taking note of it twitching weakly. Unrepairable, if he were a cruel man he would charge her for it, then have her shot. But as many of his actions showed, he wasn't cruel, just someone testing the waters of attempted kindness. "However, I will offer an apology if I have offended you by getting rid of them, if there is another way for me to pay you back, please let me know, I do not wish for females to walk around, get assaulted and let the men get away with it."
-
"I worried for your welfare, I wasn't going to allow any more happenings like that back there," Svindri repeated, ignoring herself. "And so you destroyed the lives of two people," she continued forcefully, letting him feel the full force of her contempt and shock in her voice.
"Whether it was or not, it was still an invasion of my privacy. Why did you do it?" She sat down on the stool next to him. His charm was affecting her and she was beginning to calm down. Whenever she thought about the death of the men, however, bile again rose in her throat.
She tipped the broken earpiece onto the counter, not yet sorry that she had broken it. "I was not assaulted, one of them put a hand on me and I stabbed him. That's hardly assault, unless it's on my part." His emotions were not strong, mostly just puzzlement and concern. 'Bela, he still doesn't realise what's wrong, does he?' She softened a little. It was sad for him, but if he really couldn't tell what was wrong then she must give him a little leeway.
A sudden strange impulse made her think of what he could do to repay her. "Continue to guide me around, please." Perhaps she would be able to learn why he thought so little of human life and maybe, just maybe she'd be able to change his mind. It was unlikely, but she didn't have anything else to do and her parents would be very disappointed to hear that she hadn't even tried.
-
Nraig remained standing, still keeping some distance between them, "An invasion of your privacy? By the god's own harlots, THEY were doing it as well! If I hadn't gotten involved those men would have hunted you down, raped you," His mouth twisted on the word, "Then carry you off for their initial purpose, which was to make you a prostitute. Those men will not give up over a little injury, they are hardened and will not be set back by a female lashing out." He calmed down at bit, actually blushing at his small outburst. "Yes, guide you I shall, what location did you have in mind, or do you not know the lay of this place?"
-
Svindri stiffened at Nraig's outburst. She realised dimly that it was a good thing he was being so outraged on her behalf, for it showed he had some chivalry at least, but she was capable of handling her own affairs. "I'm sure they would have had difficult raping me. I am a Bellinese, Nraig," she said, trying to be patient but not losing the edge in her voice. "I can control my muscles minutely. Had they tried they would have found it is like trying to rape a wooden statue." She snorted a few times and tried to breath deeply. "Furthermore, as you saw before, I am not without my own weaponry. My voice can reach tones which will knock a person unconscious. Failing that, I could stab them in the eyes - or the genitals."
For the first time she felt some actual, proper emotion coming from him. It made her wonder that he was such a person, to be so scrupulous at looking after a female's safety and yet so uncaring about the men's lives. It puzzled her. Snorting a few times she copied his sentence while she thought. "Yes, guide you I shall, what location did you have in mind, or do you not know the lay of this place? No, I don't. I also have no money. Perhaps you could take me somewhere I could find a job temporarily?"
-
Nraig was puzzled for a second, but quickly put somethings together, she could control muscles, so, as she stated, there went the rape aspect. He relaxed a bit as she finally got through his thick skull that she wasn't entirely helpless, flinching a bit at the mention of stabbing testicles. "I'm sure we can find something, did you have a specific job in mind or do you not care?"
-
Svindri snorted, considering his question. She didn't really care. Oh, there were a few givens (for her, she wasn't sure if he'd automatically assume she didn't want it) but overall she was not picky. "Well, nothing in which I would have to compromise my morals, or kill someone." She shuddered. "And I'd prefer something not...uh...overly social? Some people take offence to my repeating what they say." After that she shrugged. "Anything else, I don't mind."
After a pause she continued, wanting to make her thoughts clear. "I'm not asking you to find a job for me, I simply need to find an area where there are employers I could ask for work from." Svindri liked to be independent as much as possible. She snorted a few times and raked a hand through her hair.
-
"Ok, then I'll see what my crew and I could find." Turning about he waved to his Tuathian pilot, who nodded in acknowledgement, and the crew moved on, in search of a job for Svindri. Satisfied Nraig faced her again, "Now, if you will acompany me we shall embark upon a quest to search for employment." He grinned at her, eager to set off, anything to repay the Bellanise for his heartless murder of her "attackers"
-
"Ok, then I'll see what my crew and I could find." Svindri said it without noticing, though she did realise that throughout the whole time she had been talking to Nraig not once had he commented on her repeating what he said or her snorting. She noted it down and wondered whether it was because he was polite, whether he was freaked out or if he just hadn't noticed it at all.
She nodded and fell into step with him, willing to follow him until it looked like he might be leading her in a direction she didn't want. "What sort of jobs are the most abundant here?"
-
Nraig absentmindedly scratched his arm and he ran through his mind several of the jobs he knew, "Uh...we've got...we've got...janitor...bar keeper....cooks, waiters/waitresses, trashmen and women, moped taxi drivers, all sorts, just think of one and I believe they have it here. Of course you'd have to jump on it quick, everyone is looking for jobs nowadays, what with the market crashing and all." Nraig shrugged, he just told her something he'd never admit to his crew, the fact that he watched the market, most people shunned that as the last market crash pretty much fueled the biggest war in history and further added to the pollution of the earth.
-
Svindri listened to his list quietly, snorting a few times. "Well. I can hopefully get a job, then. We should just go for the nearest - or the safest ones. Being capable doesn't meant I'm stupid." After talking she realised what he'd said. "The market is crashing? What market, why?" She wasn't very economically savvy, but even she knew that a market crash was not a good thing for most people involved.
-
"Hmmm...can you cook then? Safest I can think of at the moment." He scanned the shops looking for a resturaunt they could possibly visit, at the same time he regarded her question, "The market is a country's or territory's foundation for it's economic state, if it goes down, the less money the government gets, basically, and the whole thing goes down the tubes. Right now, it's inching it's way back up, the gods of theiving be praised, but not quick enough. No, it's already crashed, or did, it's ok now, sorta, yet-" He was cut off suddenly by his breast pocket vibrating, pulling out a palm's length screen, he peered into it's flickering surface for a moment before a purple humanoid appeared onscreen, Capn', those guys had friends, they've got a fix on your position, and they're headed torward you right now. Nraig cursed, stuffing the screen back into his pocket and beckoning Svindri, "Might wanna keep your head low, Miss, those guys I killed had friends, and they aren't too keen on having their buddies killed it seems. Stick close to me and stay low, as I can't dispose of them, seeing as it upsets you and all, I'll do my best to lose 'em, follow me." Crouching low he started his way through the crowd.
-
"Hmmm...can you cook then? Safest I can think of at the moment." Svindri thought about her cooking for a moment. It was pretty good by her people's standards but Bellinese stomachs were tough and a lot of the things they ate were deadly to humans. This meant that cooking was suddenly a greatly reduced matter, because the amount of foods humans could have was much smaller. But, if she was careful, and made sure to find an experimental restaurant (or insanely fancy) then she could experiment and everyone would know it was expected for the meal to taste kinda funny. "Yes, I can cook," she said after a while and then snorted a few times.
His explanation confused her greatly and he did not even answer which market. She supposed he might have been getting around to it when his pocket vibrated. She laughed when the thing on screen relayed its message, an unlikely reaction, considering the circumstances. "Serves you right for killing them, doesn't it?" She was not unduly bothered by the idea of people hunting for them, now she had gotten used to this place and its lawlessness. That didn't mean she approved of it, but she wasn't surprised that some men were planning on killing them.
It was probably some sort of shock.
"Okay, I'm coming with you," she said comfortably as she tried to work out how she would get as low as Nraig was. Dropping the tension on her abdomen and chest muscles, she suddenly flopped a long way, her body leaning backwards as she selectively worked on certain back muscles, halting her fall so that she was upright until her hips, then almost horizontal backwards until her shoulders, and her neck and head were vertical again, so that she could look forward. It gained her a lot of odd looks but it didn't impede her movement and she could stay low without any trouble.
"So what are you going to do, Nraig?"
-
To be quite truthful, Nraig was very irritated by her laugh. 'Serves me right, my ass,' he thought angrily, fighting the urge to turn and snap at her, 'She would be happy getting shot, I'll bet' He also refrained from drawing his pistol as that might set her off and instead continued to move quickly. Soon, shouts were heard over the general noise of Red District, looking back, he nearly fell over in shock to see how strange Svindri looked. He stopped, mouth gaping open in shock, until a new shout, much closer to him this time set him back into motion. "You can cook? Good, I can find you something." he said as they dodged appendages and bodies, "I'll get to work on it, as soon as we can lose these guys, and I have no bloody hell where we are going, just as long as I can get 'em off our tails."
-
Svindri caught his anger and flinched. She realised he was angry because of her callous comment. Kind of sorry about the way she'd acted, considering he'd apologised for what he'd done, she vowed to be nicer.
Snorting softly, her nostrils flaring, she followed him, moving smoothly despite her strange position. When he turned around she dropped her jaw, literally letting her muscles drop lower than the jawbone did for humans. The effect was usually quite startling.
Waves of indignance and anger started buffeting her from behind so she imagined that the people after them were starting to be a bit rough to the crowd. When a few fears hit her she wondered if they'd started threatening to shoot people. That was quite scary; if they did shoot random people it made her fear what they'd do to her if they caught her. "You can cook? Good, I can find you something," she repeated before snorting quite hard and shaking her head. I feel like a horse, she thought ruefully.
Twitching her cat-like ears, she heard one of the men curse. He sounded quite close to them. She sped up and tapped Nraig on the shoulder. "They're getting pretty close. What about those people you were talking to with your devices? They near enough to help us?" If they could find nothing else, she supposed she could try screaming again. It hurt her to cause others pain, because she felt what they did (their emotions), but if it had to be done it had to be done.
[[Sorry it took so long, love!]]