Bay 3029 - The Aces & Eights dock ((Kurai!))

[Anonymous]

As the docking bay doors opened to Area 3021-3030, Lades felt a mixture of feelings. Pride, pleasure, and a hint of doubt, a recipe for the slight swelling in his chest. All the ships in the current dock were marvelous wonders, but he knew as soon as he set his eyes on his prize, there was no ship that was like the Aces & Eights

Lades smiled fondly, stopping in front of the ship. The recently repainted hull had a soft sheen to it, Lades able to make out his face in the side. The deep cerulean currently colored the ship, none of the marks of scorched areas from atmospheric entry or firefights with his rowdy competition. The emblem on the side, the poker hand, stood out beside the airlock.

Lades turned to Aldouvan, jerking his thumb at the ship. "I hope that this is to your satisfaction?" He joked, walking along. "If not, it's not like money's changed hands." Lades leaned against the ship, looking over Aldouvan. "So buddy, you want the grand tour first? Or are you the type that skips straight to business?"


{Forgive my lack of ship description, but the damn thing in my head refuses to give me words to describe it. I'm getting closer though. Thinking...stingray?}

[Anonymous]

He knew he'd gotten this far- and to be picked up so quickly, Aldouvan assumed that he would be taken to a busted-up ship that needed a couple thousand credits' worth of repairs. It'd happened before, his first time around, and he was left holding onto one of the interior handlebars throughout the entire ride for fear that the ship was going to just fall apart. He'd taken to calling it his 'Oh, shit!' bar.

But this ship was a beauty.

The elf had always been a sucker for blue, and seeing the marvelous insignia that was as unique as a fingerprint emblazoned on its side left him a bit jealous... after all, a ship was said to be the ultimate source of pride. Some men had loved it even more than their own children, willing to shell out thousands upon thousands of credits maintaining and upgrading their sources of transportation.

Almost as an afterthought, his eyes scanned over the sleek shape of the ship, wondering just how much something this nice must have cost throughout its lifetime. How much had it cost with its conception, let alone that wonderful paint job? He knew those weren't cheap.

A soft whistle escaped his lips, almost without him realizing it.

"Nice ship- she's a beauty." Aldouvan said honestly, his eyes wandering over to the poker hand again. The ship's name certainly lived up to its emblem- Aces and Eights stared out at him from the ship's pattern like neon lights on a dark night. While the name wasn't creative, her decal certainly was.

"Whichever you prefer." He shrugged, before jokingly adding, "But if you want to get down to business, I'll be more than happy to oblige."

[Anonymous]

"Hmmm." Lades was going to have to watch this one, and not for the reasons he normally used. But money was money, and there's always a need for money. And it was even legitimate, a rarity in the world these days. Maybe soon he'd get a real job, and just take these little missions on the side. But that wouldn't suit him at all.

"Well, I suppose business can come first. It's always nice to get the small inconveniences out of the way in any situation. The ship really isn't large enough for a grand tour anyways." Lades grinned, turning to the airlock. Standard biosecurity measures were in place, the retina scan and gel-print thumb scanner, all of which Lades knew would never stop anyone that really wanted to get in. But if someone would take his ship from him, they'd deserve it until he took it back.

Interupting his reverie, the airlock slid open, allowing Lades to place his first step inside the ship. Breathing deeply, he was finally back home. He turned to Aldouvan, waving his hand. "Just follow me for now, we'll talk in the living area." Walking in, he took an immediate left, and took about four steps to a sliding door. Lades opened it, revealing a good-sized room.

In the living area, it was easy to see that this was where the ship spent their downtime. One corner of the room had a poker table, currently covered in books and tech manuals. A few poker chips had scattered here and there, their colors standing out against the metal flooring. There was only a single chair, and it looked as if it hadn't been used for a long amount of time. In the opposite corner of the room, a large bookcase was set up, made from earth wood, and looked out of place on the ship. A vast array of magazines and books covered the shelves, the subjects ranging from the newset ship parts to how to make a better waffle. As one looked around, the floor descends by two steps to a half-circular couch, complete with large monitor for broadcasts, be it communication or entertainment. In the center of the room, an iron six person table was placed, one seat currently occupied.

Alicia remained sitting for only a moment, before slamming her hands on the table and jerking her head, her scarlet hair dancing to the side. She jumped to here feet, eyes filled with malice. "CAPTAIN! BOU-" Just a quickly though, she stopped, catching sight of Aldouvan. She grabbed her magazine and glass, before departing out of a door on the other side of the room. Lades paid her no mind, taking her seat at the table.

"That was simply Alicia. Relax, she only dislikes me. I think. You can sit wherever you like, it makes no difference. I'll go ahead and ask the general details though. What's your destination? What's my cargo...or passenger? And is there anyone or anything that might make it difficult for me?" The last question was asked with a sigh, it always was the one he hated to hear.

((OOC: Yes, I'm sure my ship name isn't original Kurai, but it's got a past with me from another RP.  :wink: ))

[Anonymous]

"Living area, huh?" Pretending not to notice the security precautions, Aldouvan was actually rather intrigued with the lack of security measures. The most advanced ships these days had some sort of DNA scanner, voice recognition system, and a dental station (where a sterile piece of gel was brought out, allowing the pilot to bite onto it and confirm his identity into the computer system) that were used at random intervals. But, he supposed, this just made the Aces and Eights a bit easier to run away with.

The living area was surprisingly cozy, and he immediately let his eyes wander to the young woman that had been sitting in the iron table. Seeing her spirited reaction to their arrival (which he assumed was enthusiastic, rather than angry...), Aldouvan was caught rather off-guard at her suddenly angry demeanor. While he was reminded of one of Deu's ex's rampages, he hoped that this woman wouldn't be angry for days at a time.

And she wasn't- she departed less than ten seconds later, leaving him rather confused.

"Hm, Alicia, huh? A fair lady, she is." Keeping his eyes locked on her shapely posterior as she ran from the room, he turned back to the pilot and withdrew the promised payment from his pocket. Bouncing it twice in his hands, he held it out, motioning Lades to take it from him.

"To be perfectly honest, Aedolis is my primary destination. It seems they're catching on to my scheme, though, so as long as we avoid getting caught outside the city borders, we're fine. Quite frankly, you can go where you wish for as long as you need to until things calm down. If, however..." He mused, pausing for a moment. Reaching to his neck with his slim hands, he pulled one of the many necklaces from around his neck. The talisman was a small jade pendant- not worth a fortune by any means, but carved in the form of a long-extinct tiger. The necklace was beautiful, but meant more as a keepsake than a piece of treasure.

"If you can get me into the city relatively quickly, I'll make it worth your while. I have only one spare chip, but I can get you a hands-on experience in the world of hedonistic pleasure and still get you back out. The pendant's a sign of good will, to assure you that I'll keep an eye out for your well-being when we're down there- quite frankly, I'm not going to leave without it." Smirking playfully, he added one last warning.

"If you take too long getting back to the city, though, watch yourself. I have a client that will wait exactly two months for my return- if we don't get back by that time, you're going to be the one paying back my carnal favor. Understood?"

[Anonymous]

This man was going to be very entertaining. He wasn't like by authority. He was connected in many circles. He had a flair for pleasures of the flesh. He even had generous coin and treasure.

Lades could definitely get used to his presence. But the last line that Aldouvan had said was enough to send a chill down his spine, and when said with such a certain face, that chill extended further, down into Lades' bottom. It wasn't that he had any problems with the...urm...switch-hitters of the universe. Lades just didn't like the idea of anything entering part of his body that he believed to be an exit only. But ignoring that uneasy fact, Aldouvan seemed to be the kind of person Lades could form an profitable relationship with.

"Well then, your destination is noted, as is the time frame." Lades reached forward, taking the payment, as well as the pendant. "I'll also note this little side trip, just in case." A scary thought jumped to Lades' head though. The two men may have very different ideas of pleasure. But, he'd dodge that proverbial bullet when he came to it.

"So then, now that we've got that out of the way, I'll go ahead and fill you in on the crew and ship. You know me already, so that one is easy. The girl was Alicia. She handles various things that we need done, generally combat...and 'diplomacy'." Lades did his fingers in the universal quotes motion, leaving the interpretation of diplomacy to Aldouvan's mind.

"The only other person on board is Xeph. He's a...well, I can't remember his species, but he looks kinda like a cricket to me. I can't describe him in justice, you'll know him when you see him. But he handles our mechanics and cooking, and he's got two mean left hooks." Lades grinned. "Four arms. It's quite the sight when he makes Gaken." Lades stood up, pointing to the door Alicia departed out of.

"That door takes you to the kitchen, which you can feel free to use at any time. Our only rule is that if you please don't leave a large mess, and try not to waste the food." Lades turned back to the door the two men entered from, opening it.

"This is the main corridor, or as I simply call it, the hallway. Across from this door is the strategy room and the maintenance room, which we use from time to time. Down the left is the airlock that came in from, and if you keep going is the cargo bay. The bridge is at the end on the right, and bunks are off each side. Come on, I'll show you to yours."

Lades stepped out, and took a few steps to an angled hatch on the wall. He slammed the handle, the hatch sliding vertical to the wall. A padded ladder was revealed, leading down to a cozy room, with the basic essentials. Lades leaned against the wall above the ladder. "It's like a standard hotel really. You get a bed, a light, a bathroom, and a monitor. We have a good comm array, so we get most programs from the stations and earth's satelites. That's really all you need at the moment. I'm really bad at explaining things, but she's not a huge ship. You won't get lost." Lades ended with an exasperated smile. This tour guide speech wasn't his expertise at all.

[Anonymous]

Well, there was a surprise. When he'd mentioned that he owed a certain 'favor' and threatened to unload it on Lades, Aldouvan expected to see him squirm, at the very least. The guy looked to have a thick skin, though, and that was always good. Granted, if Lades had any idea what his client looked like, he'd have flown as far away as possible from the city.

First off, there was his client's name- Duke Irlin. He wasn't actually a Duke, but commanded more than enough respect from his ring to earn that title. Then there was the guy's profession... the reason why he was able to meet his lover Deu in the first place.

The guy owned an adult entertainment industry.

In order to get Deu a transfer to another job and get a good word from his former boss, Aldouvan had to promise to model for a certain 'project' he had in mind by Irlin's next birthday. What it was, he didn't know, but it didn't do well to not pay one's debts. He just had to get the balls to actually go in and pay off the order, or at least throw the burden on someone else to get him there by his due date.

When he'd gotten a letter from Deu talking about how Irlin might actually be personally involved in the already suspicious-sounding 'project', he'd flipped. Not out of joy, mind you. Of course, if Lades knew that Irlin was almost three hundred pound behemoth with rolls of fat that dwarfed Olympus Mons, he'd be frightened, too.

But he didn't, of course, and he was glad for that.

"Combat, huh? Guess we know who's wearing the pants on this ship, hm?" Turning back to the subject at hand, he grinned snidely at the thin man's description of Alicia, and didn't bother to stop the multitude of memories that came along with her description. Oh, yeah. Deu had a couple of ex's that sounded like that- he clearly had a thing for aggressive women. Of course, Alicia would probably beat their heads in if they started throwing their respective bitch fits. They'd probably be better off after meeting her.

"Cricket? Four arms? I'll have to see this guy for myself." If it hadn't been for the whole 'looks like a cricket', he'd almost have thought it was hot. A guy with four arms? Two arms can already to wonders in the bedroom!

His high of dirty thinking suddenly paused, as if he'd been soaked in cold water. At the mere mention of the word 'kitchen', the blonde elf flinched; he never did get along well with pots and pans, especially since he made sure that all of his boyfriends and girlfriends could cook before they decided to go steady. Nothing sucked more than getting up after a hot night, only to realize that the only thing to satisfy his famished stomach was a small pack of freeze-dried, microwavable edibles.

"Ooh, at least you guys have a cook. I... I burn water. It's not a good idea to stick me in there." He couldn't hide the embarrassment in his voice or cloak the sulk that inevitably came over him as a result of his self-proclamation. Nevertheless, he continued to follow the captain through the ship, admiring the sights and rather pleased with the cozy atmosphere of the craft. It wasn't too big and frigid, but it wasn't small enough to cause claustrophobia, either!

As he was led into his room, he couldn't help but let a sly smile cross his features. Resisting the urge to lick his lips (just to mess with the guy), Aldouvan narrowed his eyes and sidled jokingly towards Lades.

"Ooh, got me my own room already? My oh my, you move fast." Wrapping one of his arms around Lades's shoulders, he kept up the masquerade of seduction for a few seconds before, letting go, he let out a hearty chuckle. His eyes full of gratitude, he beamed- this ship was perfect, and the captain seemed far more agreeable than the frigid attitude he'd given him at Static.

Maybe he didn't have to steal the ship, after all- maybe they'd take him around the galaxy after a while.

"So, captain- where are we off to, and what can I do to help? I can help with gambling, smuggling, and the libido, but not much else." Feeling a slight itch, Aldouvan pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly, revealing a temporary tattoo of a blue rose as he satisfied his burning skin. He'd completely forgotten about the convincing tattoo, and thought nothing of it- he was sure that no one had identified him by that mark yet.

But if he really did forget about it and Lades had seen it, he'd be in some serious trouble if he got on the guy's wrong side.

[Anonymous]

((Sorry, I lost the net for a while. XD))


Lades turned back, placing his hand on the ladder to exit the wound. He looked at Aldouvan, a clouded look in his eye. "I doubt that we have anything to do at the moment. I'm going to file for departure, and we'll be off as soon as we can. I'd like to stay as far as I can in front of your little...deadline." With a smirk, he stepped out of the room, and went to the strategy room, where Xeph was already waiting.

As the chair with Xeph spun around, he stared at Lades with his thousand  eyes, his four arms crossed. He looked at Lades, an expectant look. "All preparations are ready for departure. Now then, is this job going to go well? You know that I need a vacation. I have been planning to expand my boctruse sauce." Xeph stood, placing all his arms on the table.

"This job, Lades. I can already tell it's going to be interesting."





((Cont: Sorry for the ridiculously brief post, but it's unavoidable. I owed ya more Kurai. XD))

[Anonymous]

(It's no problem, man. :p)

A shiver ran down Aldouvan's spine as he met Lades's eyes, and his words barely reached the elf's normally sensitive ears. The eerie look in the captain eyes could be read as so many things, and he wasn't exactly a multi linguist. What had gone on behind those beautiful eyes- a sense of suspicion, regret, confusion, attraction, lust, or even barely-concealed hatred? With no cue from the man's eyebrows or lips, he could just as well have worn a mask, for all it told him.

Worse yet, he didn't know if he'd been the cause of it, and if he had been, what he'd done to incur such a change in him. Had he come on too strong? He wouldn't have been surprised.

Following him out of curiosity more than any particular necessity (He was in his room, after all.), the slim elf carefully took his time tracing his footsteps and making as little noise as possible. However, no preparation would have stopped the little 'Ack!' from escaping his lips when his eyes fell on Xeph's exoskeleton.

First off, he did not look normal. He'd seen arthropods running around Mars that looked like that, only they were maybe one one hundredth his size. He'd run from those like a girl ran from mice, and they'd been no bigger than his little finger...

Xeph seemed exponentially more intimidating than those little bugs, to say the least.

And yet, his voice sounded surprisingly calm and intelligent. The giant arthropod's vocal chords sounded almost like one of his ex boyfriends, which left him a bit unnerved, but it also calmed him down exponentially- the thing wasn't hissing, clicking, or making some other freakishly alien noises at him.

Looking down the front of Xeph's body, Aldouvan wished he could have taken back his last thought about the four arms- nothing could convince him that they were hot. Nothing.

So he just stood there, his eyes rudely fixated on the arms that were now sitting nicely on the table.

[Anonymous]

((Ah. The relief of posting without a test deadline over me. ^_^))

Lades tossed the bag that Aldovan had given him to Xeph, the precious treasures that would pay for an extension on their time in this life, and keep his ship running that much longer. "Can you see that this gets where it needs to go? I don't want to do anything stupid with our money again." Lades felt that sting of embarassment catch up with him, as he'd recently spent more of a client's money than was wise, and the crew hadn't quite forgiven him for a week deprived of actual food, instead surviving on poor-quality Martian noodles.

Xeph caught the bag easily, pouring the contents on the table in front of him, sorting it deftly with three of his hands, while the fourth did a merry waltz over a keyboard, calculating the new income into their budget. It seemed that they would be eating quite well during this job. He looked up at Lades, a puzzled expression that few would recognize. "Hmmm...it seems simple enough, but it never is with your clients Lades. At least Alicia's jobs are simple, even if they are dangerous. But I...something the matter?" Xeph turned to Lades, who had drifted off in thought, his hand cupping his chin. Lades shook slightly, turning back to the voice that had  interupted his reverie. He shook his head, abashed.

"No no, nothing really. Just got the goddess whispering, that's all." The goddess, as Lades had put it, was simply an odd feeling he got from time to time, generally preceding good fortune. However, today it came with a chill, as if his luck might turn for first time in years. But the goddess had never steered him wrong before, and hopefully she'd guide him today.

"Hmmm...that's pleasant news to hear. I was almost worried. And please don't stare sir, it flusters me." Xeph said, turning to Aldouvan at last. "I admit that I'm a unique to sight to earthbound rces, but I'm quite harmless." Xeph gave a smile, or at least, a smile to him. Lades chuckled.

"Haven't you killed people with those hands, cricket? I hardly call someone who spends half his time making weapons harmless. I've been punched by you before." Lades couldn't help but speak up. He liked to joke with Xeph when company was around. The proud Gyrenthi had the potential to be the deadliest member on the ship, and yet he'd much rather forego all combat to hone his passion.

Xeph turned, pointing two fingers on two hands at Lades. "May I remind you, that weapons aren't my only area of mechanics. I spend time generally building this ship. It was my nano-machines and remote repair unit design, remember. And Alicia asked for that beam scythe, and it is a work of perfectly refined art. AND I spend the other half of my time in the kitchen, and you aren't dead! Yetttt." The last word was a bared hiss, anger barely constrained. He hated that name, cricket.

At that last word though, a small cylinder, five inches in diameter, and perhaps eight inches in height dropped from the ceiling. As it landed on the table, a small speaker began to play. "Reminder. It is now 2300 hours." With that, the polite voice stopped, and the cylinder returned to the ceiling and disappeared into the roof. Lades sighed. They'd have to leave soon, or they get fined.

[Anonymous]

(Augh! Midterms are killing me! D: )

(I will put a post here when I get home. I need to remind myself by posting now, lest I forget. ^^''

Edit: It's 6:30. I need to get offline. I guess not. D:

Edit again!: Oops. >.< I should've edited that post in. How can I delete this?)

[Anonymous]

At Lades's mere mention of the word 'goddess', a sense of familiarity with the word allowed the now quite shaken elf to relax. His ex-girlfriend, an avided Wicken, prayed to a matron goddess, and referred to her as a spirit that whispered to her in times of need. It appeared that Lades had a similar spirit watching over him... which was fortunate. Atheist or not, luck was not a mistress to be denied or taken for granted.

She was a very angry mistress the last time she was taken for granted. However, thinking about his mention of the word, he wondered if his deity was for luck, health, or good conditions- all of which they would need for their short little voyage together.

"I-I... I apologize. My name is Aldouvan. Lades told me about you." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he thought about what he'd heard about him before-- how he was their chef and chief mechanic. The dexterity at which his hands flew through the gems, sorting them this way and that, made it very believable that the arthropod would dabble in some delicate mechanics.

A note went down in the blonde's head when he listened to Xeph's angry hisses- whether it was being called a cricket or being accused of homicide, one or both of those comments had obviously riled up the alien. All he knew was that he had to find some way to console him, lest he turn one of those hands against him!

"Oh! Kitchen work, hm? A friend of mine used to work in the culinary business until a boiling oil incident made him stop working. I always found it fascinating to watch... would you mind if I sat in when you cook?" Aldouvan couldn't catch the incessant babbles that ran past his head and through his mouth, but at least it would hopefully get Xeph's mind off of the derogatory name and into the culinary world. He'd been told it was quite relaxing, once he could get past the 'burning instant ramen' stage.

As the cylinder dropped from the ceiling like the lolling of a metal tongue, Aldouvan squeaked and jumped back, his eyes following the mysterious voice as it spoke with politeness unmatched on his trip. From what Lades had said, he wouldn't have been surprised if the little canister fired lasers out at the rude and staring elf... but luckily, it was but a small notification. Its job done and message relayed, it seemed to be slurped back up into the ceiling of the cockpit.

"Well, that was interesting." He murmured, staring up at where it had come and gone. The little door that had opened was virtually invisible- a very well-made, sealed door that was a perfect fit for the situation was hardly a small feat, considering how it was utterly seamless. His curiosity piqued, the vagabond decided that it was about time he'd started wandering around, attended or not.

"I'll be around, you two. I'm going to find... what's her name...? Alicia, right?" And with that, he began his aimless meanderings, letting fate run its course.

[Anonymous]

Xeph, while retaining a burning dislike for Lades' pet name for him, did manage to soften up at Aldouvan's remarks. Could it be? Was it possible? The new face aboard the ship had actually expressed some sort of interest in his passion of culinary exploits. Xeph felt a small flicker of joy light in his chest, perhaps the ship would finally have another person that could enjoy the finer points of food. And it was quite a show to see Xeph in action, at least, the poor soul thought to himself.

As Aldouvan stepped out to vander the ship, Xeph turned to his captain, a look of triumph reflected in his eyes, and what a familiar eye would recognize as a grin. "I'm still a little suspicious, but there's nothing we can do about it, after all. In any case, I'm already starting to like him more than you." Xeph's voice came out with a lighthearted tone, and he turned away, stepping out the door, and following the elf. Perhaps it was in the blood? Alicia had elven blood in her veins, and she was always polite and expressed interest in his cooking as well. But he was getting carried  away with himself, it could have merely been lipservice...

But, in any case, even if the passenger with the wonderful jewels wasn't a fan of the art of dining, Xeph would convert him before this trip was up! He pledged it! "Aldouvan, was it? Alicia is most likely in our recreation room, allow me to accompany you." Xeph's pace increased to Aldouvan's as he spoke. "So, your friend worked in food? What happened with this oil burning incident?"


Another one of Xeph's outbursts had been overcome, but Lades wouldn't be able to deal with them forever. He had waited in the room alone, absentmindedly pushing a jade colored jewel around with his right hand, as his left cupped his chin in thought again. "Talk to me...what's this feeling of dread?" Lades didn't realize he'd muttered the words under his breath, the hair on the back of his neck prickling. It felt like he'd been thrown into space, a chill that shook him down to his every cell. Lades shook his head like a madman, his hair flying about like a wraith, and clapped his hands together. He stepped out of the room, racing to the bridge as if his life depended on it.

He closed the hatch behind him, and grabbed small climate control on the wall, setting the dial to "Heat". Lades turned, and placed his hand on the pilot's seat. The smooth feel of the leather invited him to sit down, and Lades knew he was back where he belonged. The familiar feel of the controls beneath his hands pushed his unfounded fears away, and his cocky smirk returned to his face. He smacked the comm panel, the device giving a squeak of feedback before the control tower of the dock was reached.

"Lades Aradal. Aces & Eights. Registration Code R175DR9. Requesting takeoff clearence." A slight pause answered him before a voice of confirmation rang through, and Lades closed the channel. Switching over to in-ship communication, Lades activated the ship intercom. "Lady and Gentlemen, we're on our way to Aedolis. Please take your seats and all that bullshit." He was going to make a snide mark about putting the female member of his crew in the upright position...but there was company aboard. Moving the controls as if they were part of his body, Lades expertly drifted the ship out of the dock, facing the exit channel to open space. "Everyone, we're off!" he yelled with glee, slamming the throttle to the maximum. Lades smiled, closing the intercom, and turned to face the stars that awaited him. "Take flight baby." He whispered to no one, as yet another job began.