Just doing some business {Flakeblood}

[Etrofder]

This was his first time in this particular section of the red district. Orias looked down at the flier again, then back up to the numbers above the doors on either side. "Well... that doesn't look right..." He mumbled, turning around and heading back the way he came.

Give him a star chart and a ship, and he could park that sucker within ten kilometers of any given destination without fail. But ask him to find his way somewhere on foot... Well it was just his luck his crew had either taken their pay and left, or were too busy on their own errands to point him in the right direction.

It took another fifteen minutes before the numbers started to make sense, and he found himself standing in front of the address on the flier. He took a deep breath, smoothed a cowlick out of his still messy hair and straightened his jacket, and then rapped his knuckles on the door.

[Flakeblood]

Casey was sitting in the main room of his little suite, practicing on his beloved liuqin. He was currently working on part of a piece titled The Garden After Rain. Strumming the little instrument, he glanced at the shrub he was sitting across from. Said shrub was named Mr. Fish. He had actually picked this piece to work on because he felt that it would help create the feel of a more natural environment for himself and his leafy friend. So he sat on his white love seat in his rumpled blue pants and black muscle shirt, smiling as he tried out the chords he needed.

A knock on his door stopped him, and he glanced at it. Was he expecting anyone? Certainly not. His neighbors were probably busy today. After all, today was... well it was... sometime near the beginning of the week. He made a mental note to either buy or make something for his main room to tell what day it was.

The main room of his suite was fairly small and bare-bones, with a few cushy white loveseats, some simple, small black metal tables, some colorful metal decorations hanging or sitting about, and bits and pieces of projects scattered throughout. A small archway in the right wall lead to the dining room/kitchen area, with his room and bathroom beyond that.

'Perhaps,' he thought, 'for the casing I should fiddle with that copper-zinc alloy I bought. That'd look pretty awesome hanging on my wall.' At least, he thought so.

He shook himself out of his musings in order to set his liuqin on it's stand on the corner table. He then ambled to the door with his bare feet, making a couple more theories as to his guest before palming the pad at the side of the door. One thing he enjoyed about being an engineer: he could build his accommodations better than they were, most of the time. The pad recognized his touch and the door slid open sideways. At the door was... well who was he? Casey didn't think he'd met this guy before.

"Qiu Dvorak, what can I do for ya?"

Casey didn't use his actual full name often, but... When in doubt, be professional.

[Etrofder]

Orias was taken slightly by surprise at the appearance of the small man. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but Qiu wasn't quite it. These types were usually large, the handling of heavy machinery usually showing. No matter though, he'd heard nothing bad about this fellow.
He quickly recovered, covering his momentary stutter behind a cough. "Orias Forte." He offered his hand. "I'm in need of a good mechanic, someone who can think outside the box and put together a custom piece of machinery, and I've heard good things about you."

[Flakeblood]

Wry grin on his face, Casey firmly took the man's hand and shook it.

"Well, I seem to be turning into a mechanic more and more these days, so maybe I can help."

Casey ended the handshake and stood aside, gesturing for Orias to enter his room. He wasn't put off by the man's height. Heck, after living aboard the Cancer as long as he had, odd was the new normal. Days that didn't bring someone new and interesting were few and far between.

Speaking of interesting... Casey caught sight of the tip of one of the new client's ears. Either he wasn't human and hiding it, which was completely possible, or he had some fae ancestry. Now there was something interesting. Casey hadn't seen many of his own kind, or close to it, since leaving Edanith. He decided not to bring it up though; Not really pertinent to business.

[Etrofder]

Returning the smile warmly, the taller man stepped inside, taking in his surroundings at a glance. It was somewhat spartan, but cozy none the less. He'd never had much use for excess himself.

And yet as sparse as the decor may be in the small room, it went a long way towards describing the character of his host. An interesting blend of artistic nature and technology that couldn't help but impress Orias, who knew plenty about ships and technology, but had so little time to branch out to express himself. And the fish... well that was a wild card.

"I must ask, did you make these yourself?" He said simply, bending over to more closely examine one of the pieces of artwork.

[Flakeblood]

Casey made sure the door closed properly before moving to see what Orias was looking at. It appeared to be one of the many pieces of decorative work in the room, this one shining with several shades because the metals of differing contents of aluminum and copper were carefully twisted together.

"I did." He laughed just a bit. "It may not be the most productive thing to do with spare materials, but sometimes I just need ta stop thinking and just mold something, ya know?"

He rather did like exploring with new materials and designs, and if making art, he could determine how to handle his new ideas without creating a complete mess. Most of the time, anyway. Other times he had to just melt it down and start over. It was an interesting way to learn and pass the time.

"I have to warn you though, I'm better with the ideas themselves than making the stuff. Playing with the materials and theorizin' is one thing, but actually constructing the new machines takes me more time."

Didn't want the guy to think he'd be done instantly. Heck, he might even ask him to help on the project. Orias had said something about custom machinery earlier. Good. Casey loved those kind of jobs. The challenge of getting what he needed to build it was just as fun as thinking it up. Besides, custom probably meant this guy was used to making some of the parts himself.

"So, what were you considering?"

[Etrofder]

He nodded appreciatively as Qui explained. "It's not half bad." He chuckled. "Always good to keep the hands busy."

He moved over to one of the tables, and withdrew a sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. "Quite right, to business then. I've got a ship docked here now. She's perfectly fit for travel, mind you. Built her myself. But when I did, I may have had to improvise a bit. As such, not all of the components link up with standard parts."

He unfolded the paper, sliding the diagram of Fohen to the engineer. "I've made do for most of it. I'm no slouch at these sorta things myself. But on my last trip, had a bit of a run in with some fellows that wanted what I was carrying. Hadn't had much opportunity to test out the weapons banks prior."

His voice raised a bit in an excited tone. He was damn proud of his ship, and jumped at the chance to talk about her. But this was business, and he kept a careful rein on himself, lest he get all kinds of sidetracked. Was rare he got real opportunities to talk with someone that understood the finer details under the hood.

"Long story short, had to deactivate the entire weapons powergrid. Every time I gave the engines some juice, the beamers go off. They never intended to put weapons on the pile of scrap I started with, or to have the kind of juice I've got going to the engines. I can get the weapons on their own power source, but that cuts power. What I really need is a system that'll fit the old Orca class hull and still be durable enough to keep all that extra juice from cooking off the guns."

He sat back and let Qiu look over the blueprints. "So, you think you're up to the job?"

[Flakeblood]

Casey nodded in thanks, looking down at the paper when it was presented. An improvised ship. Alright then.

He nearly exploded of happiness when he realized the paper that was slid to him was actually a diagram of said ship. Bending over to get a better look, Casey reverently smoothed the surface out, eyes darting all over the schematics, measurements and notes, digesting every detail available. A warm thrumming started in his chest, working its way down to his toes and up to his face, giving his cheeks a slight excited flush.

He also listened intently to what Orias explained, looking at the corresponding part of the diagram each time. He heard the pride in the guy's tone, not that Casey would blame him, with a ship like this.

"Just, holy shit man. You built this yourself?"

He raised an eyebrow and jabbed a finger at the diagram. Realizing it sounded similar to the question he'd gotten asked earlier, Casey cleared his throat out of embarrassment and changed tact.

"Okay, so, a power system that'll work with your engines, weapons, and whatever else you got in here," he eyed the life support system as he said this, "provides enough juice, but doesn't blow anything out... and on what used to be an Orca class..."

He'd need to make sure that the power got distributed in the proper amounts and to the proper places, not to mention he'd probably be tearing apart most of the ship to replace certain parts or make adjustments. After all, the power system was the life of a ship. This was a full on job when done right, and he never did anything half-ass'd. Casey laughed before looking at his newest client.

"Man, you trying to kill me early? Cause I'm doin' this." He grinned wider. "Ain't no way I'm passing this up. True customs are actually kinda hard to come buy."

[Etrofder]

Orias chuckled, a little embarrassed at the compliment. "Yeah, she's my baby." He said with  unbridled pride, the feeling only growing as Qiu got a good look at the schematics.

He could tell he'd made a good choice coming here. He wasn't about to let anyone lay a finger on Fohen unless they were up to snuff and dedicated to their job. Frankly, he didn't like needing to ask for help on it at all, but this was a tall order for even him. But Qiu's enthusiasm was evident in his face and his voice, and he had a reassuring confidence about him.

"I'm damn glad to hear it." He said, relieved the engineer felt he could do it. "Now, do you want to see her?"

[Flakeblood]

"Let's get goin'."

Lopsided smile in place, Casey grabbed his yellow sleeveless jacket from the couch behind him, threw it on, and stuffed his feet into his nearby boots. He didn't even bother with socks; he was too pumped. Taking one brief look at the schematics, he handed the paper back to Orias.

"Ah, and you can just call me Casey. Most everyone does."

[Etrofder]

"Casey it is." Orias said with a nod, accepting the paper, folding it and putting in back in his pocket. "She not docked too far off."

He led the way, finding his way back in short order compared to his departure. The lunch rush at most of the businesses had died down, and the walkways and centers were a bit clearer than before. Orias tried to make small talk as they walked, preferring to be on friendly terms with anyone he worked with. Usually made the bill a little easier to swallow. "Tell me, you can't be much older than a teenager by the looks of you. How'd you figure all this stuff out?"

[Flakeblood]

Casey made sure to lock his door before leaving, a scan took care of that, and he followed his new client. He trotted after the taller man, having to make his steps slightly longer to keep up. He was glad the paths were relatively clear. They'd get to the ship faster that way.

Apparently, Orias was still curious. Casey couldn't blame the man; he knew he seemed rather young for the job, so he'd gotten similar questions before.

"Ah, well that's cause I'm not much older. Nineteen, just recently." He gave a rather impish grin at this. "Anyway, I've been at this since I was eight. Just tinkering at first, but you learn a lot being on the Cancer."

He'd never really cared about his age. He may not have remembered much about his previous life—the hibernation didn't count—but he'd subconsciously retained the lessons and morals he'd learned. He felt like an average teenager, just with more confidence. He almost knew what it was like to become an adult, so he didn't worry about it overmuch. It'd come.

He shrugged. "Guess I just picked it up. I loved it, so I did it. Simple."

[Etrofder]

Orias whistled appreciatively. "I guess I don't have much to worry about, huh? I started when I was pretty young myself... Ah, here we are." He ushered the younger man into a mid sized docking bay.

Fohen rest heavily on the floor, heavy panels strewn about, exposing the ships components from when he had worked on her earlier. She was not the prettiest ship. It was immediately obvious that not all the parts were designed to go together, and that a huge amount of work went into making them all fit.

"Sorry about the mess." Orias scooped up a heavy wrench he'd tossed aside earlier in frustration. "Been working on her since I landed."

"Oi, you get that guy from the flier?" A woman called, wiping her hands on a grease rag as she descended the ramp from the side of the ship. She was the pretty sort, though it might be hard to tell under the black splotches of oil and her messy hair, tied up in a bun.

"Yeah, this is him. Casey, this is Vel. Been giving me a hand. She's one of my regular hires."


((I hope you don't mind me tossing her in. I've been working on her profile, and thought it'd be a little strange for him to have absolutely no crew. I should have her up shortly.))

[Flakeblood]

[ooc: No, this is great. I was actually gonna ask if I could rp with her, and now I am. ahaha.]

It was beautiful. Really, that was what he thought every time he saw a ship to be worked on, but how could it be anything else? Different parts and pieces strewn about his new project only excited him with their possibilities.

"Don' worry about it. 'Mess' is part of the job."

He then noticed the woman coming down the ramp. Specifically, he noticed that she was... also taller than him. It was at times like these that he wished he wasn't so good as visuospatial measuring. Still, no need to be impolite over it.

He raised a hand and nodded his head in an affirmation and "hello" gesture.

"Hired for what, usually?"

He hoped she was a mechanic. That would make this job so much easier. Not that he was a slouch when it came to fixing stuff, since he practically memorized blueprints and knew how the parts were supposed to fit together, it's just that he was more experienced in the design portion of the process. A skilled mechanic would help move things along, though whether she was or not, he'd still get this done.

[Etrofder]

Orias chuckled at the question. "Really, I bring her on for just about anything that needs doing. Looks like she's been playing mechanic while I've been out."

"Only because I damn near electrocuted myself trying to turn on the fuckin' coffee pot, because someone didn't give me fair warning they'd been messing with the power." She grumbled, throwing the filthy rag at Orias.

She batted a lock of hair that'd come free from in front of her eyes. "Good to meet you, Casey. Maybe we can get something done now. Red here has a policy of just messing with the wires, then flipping it on and watching what happens. It's getting a bit old." She said, jabbing at the captain with a teasing grin.

"Yeah yeah, that's why I hired him." Orias grunted, reaching for a pair of insulated work gloves and sliding them on. The man was great at what he did. Afterall, he'd put the ship together in the first place. But on a grand scale, that was pretty simple. Making a system that would connect with Fohen's hull and handle a power source several times larger than an Orca was ever intended to have... Well, that's when things got tricky, and he'd started experimenting, much to his crew's chagrin. In his defense, he kept it contained, usually. He wasn't going to risk blowing anything important.

[Flakeblood]

Casey raised a slender eyebrow at their antics, slightly amused. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his two special black ties, and began winding them around either hand. The bands were handy little things made of resilient material with tiny loops and pockets to secure small pieces he worked with. They left his fingers free to do detail work while conducting electricity away from his body. Good for things like uh... rouge coffee pots.

"Well, let's take a look then, huh?"

He pulled a pair of yellow tinted goggles from yet another pocket and snapped them on the top of his head, grinning. He walked to the ramp and eyed both Orias and... Vel? Yeah, Vel. He briefly wondered if it was her full name before pushing the thought aside and speaking.

"Show me around?"

[Etrofder]

"Sure thing. Velura, take him for a walk around the ship while I clean this up." Orias motioned to the tools and parts on the docking bay floor.

"On it, boss." Velura beckoned to Casey, giving him a good look over. He wasn't too bad. A bit shorter, but that wasn't a big deal. Wiry too. That was something she liked. She'd be nice to this one. At least, try to be.

She lead him up the ramp. "Not going to lie, Red must think you're good if he's ok bringing you in on this."

[Flakeblood]

Casey gave a small goodbye salute to Orias before following Vel up the ramp. He took in the general appearance of the ship as well as some of the smaller details, such as what was under plating that had been removed. It looked similar to the blueprints, like it should have, just a little more... strewn about.

"Good to hear. And here I was afraid that all my previous customers were saying how weird I get when focused," he joked.

He knew that's not what she meant though. No one hires based on reputation alone. It's the first meeting that determines whether you care for someone's character or not. Casey was glad that his fascination had intrigued Orias, as it was not often he found someone as enthralled by ship creation as he was. He didn't have to tone down his own enthusiasm at all.

"So, most of the ship like this?" He gestured to an inside panel that had been taken apart.

[Etrofder]

She picked up a few cables. "Everything I've seen. Down right frightened to see what he's got in the cockpit. I'm not as good with these machines as Red is." She admitted. "But let's have the grand tour. Best let you know what you've got yourself into."

The ship wasn't very large on the inside, rooms and walkways cramped together. A lot of what had been open space in the original ship had been sacrificed when Orias had built it. The main walkway that lead up to the cockpit branched off in three places. Machine etched lettering beside each one noted where it led. Stairs on the left led down to the engine room, reactor core, and the cargo bay. Another set led up to the mess room and crew storage. On the right, a similar set of stairs lead to a row of small rooms for crew and passengers, as well as the wash room and basic amenities.

The cockpit followed suit, somewhat cramped. Two comfortable seats and a complicated mass of controls took the bulk of the room. A panel was opened, countless colored wires and hook ups lay within, leading in all directions.

[Flakeblood]

"Alright then."

Casey took in all the details he passed, or as many as he could while walking and swiveling his head. He made little mental notes as he went along. Things like 'this system panel is here,' and 'that part probably belongs somewhere near the engines.'

Once they both entered the cockpit, he gave a long whistle. It was in good condition, considering the things that had been ripped out on other parts of the ship. Here, only one panel was open and being worked on.

"Better than I'd thought."

He walked over to the panel and started looking it over, pushing the wires in different directions to see farther in where they connected, though he was careful not to move them much. He then turned and gave Vel a relieved grin.

"You had me all scared for a second there. Anyway. Just considering the blueprints, I'd thought it was possible. Seeing it now, I know it'll be a big job—or, I guess it has been already—but still completely attainable. I think a lot of the needed parts are already here; they just need adjusting."

Completing the project with many of the same parts would have multiple advantages. For one, Orias would be familiar with these parts and work better with them. That would save time and effort. Money was also a factor. This was gonna be a big ass project, Casey knew, and if he could help them keep costs down a little he'd sleep better at night.

"You guys're pretty lucky, actually. The main body of this ship and the primary systems, minus the engines and other modifications of course, are of a similar build to the ones that make up a ship one of my other customers brings in frequently."