Author Topic: Perlious Cargo of a Mercurial Nature (Rhi!) (M) (Read 11334 times)

Lion · « **on:** March 03, 2015, 07:00:10 pm »

Ahh!

It felt so good to finally breathe unfiltered air. He didn’t know how long it’d been since the last time he’d been ‘outside’ in the real world, but all that mattered was that it was here and it was his. He’d made it, he was out of that blasted facility. The only thing that would’ve made it sweeter were if it had blown up or suffered some crippling accident in the process. But Cal took his hand where he could.

Fugitives could only afford to be so picky.

Despite his current setting, Cal wasn’t dumb enough yet to think he was home free. He’d only been here a day and already he was sick of ducking his head down. He had to find a way to get off this space station and fast. But with nothing more than the clothes on his back and the credits he’d managed to pickpocket and the cellphone he tucked away, he didn’t have much in the way of offering payment for a ride.

Much less even knew where he wanted to go. Well, he supposed anywhere as far away from TRIM was good enough for him. And if someone asked, Aedolis. Because hey, why not!? Maybe, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to head back to the old stomping ground, see if any of his old contacts were still around…

Calixte vanished easily through the crowd. The docking bays were sprawled all over the space station, no reason guards had to be everywhere at once. The best thing to do was to just play it cool. Going haywire wasn’t going to do him any good. And the last thing he wanted was to end up from once cell right back into another.

But when he saw two “Reds” walking behind him, seemingly in his general direction, Cal turned around into Docking Bay 1435. The very thought sent the hackles standing on end on the back of his neck. Were they following him? He couldn’t tell. Just when he looked over his shoulder, his body collided with a dock worker, knocking him over.

“Watch where you’re going, scum mucker!” she spat, climbing to her feet.

Fuck! If anything was going to get the Reds’ attention, that sure was!

Cal wasted no time apologizing and moved around stacks of cargo, caches and crates, and took a hat from someone’s head that was busy jotting something over a clipboard and a leather jacket left hanging beside a work station and flung it over his shoulders. He leaned over another man’s shoulder, feeling the Reds coming closer to where he was.

He looked at the corner of his eye and saw the two of them conversing with a dock manager, and one pointed off in his direction. Fuuuuuuck….. Calixte threw the collar of the jacket up, to partly conceal his face and walked cooly up the ramp of the ship nearest him. The two Reds called after him, barking a sharp, “Hey you!”

But he didn’t hear them. OBVIOUSLY! Got important crew business to get to! As soon as he was on board, Cal scrambled off to the side, banking right and thankfully finding the ship largely empty…or so he assumed…and ran off down the corridor. When he found the cargo hold, he scrambled left and threw himself behind a set of crates, hearing boots boarding the ship.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2015, 07:49:34 pm »

Little did Calixte know, those boots belonged not to a Red, but to Jericho Fox, infamous pirate captain of the high...skies? Yeah, sure, that worked.

Luckily for Calixte, Jericho hadn't actually seen him board. She had a large pizza box in her biomechanical hand, her cell phone in the other, and a slice of pizza (mushrooms and sausage, extra cheese) hanging from her mouth. She was the very picture of class, all right, all that juxtaposed with her casual suit jacket, worn open, her lazy tie, and black skinny jeans, her long hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Whenever she came to the Cancer, you're goddamned right she took advantage of the food! She got sick of protein bars and instant coffee.

One of the Reds was yelling something at her as she boarded, and she cast a lazy glance back at him and gave him a way. "Cawm yo tith, ahm goinf," she said without listening, because she knew what had their panties all in a twist; she'd docked overnight and was supposed to checkout five minutes ago. Anal bastards. Jeez.

She slapped a panel on the wall, and the gangplank drew back into the ship and the door slid shut, drowning out the noise. She pocketed her cell phone once she had the coordinates to her drop off point, and headed for the bridge. Once she dumped her pizza box in her chair, she paused, chewing on the crust of her current slice. Hmm. Maybe she should double check her inventory before she left, juuust in case.

Finishing up her slice, she grabbed another piece of pizza for the trip and headed for the cargo bay. And once she was inside, she started to count the crates and boxes piled up inside.

And she came to a stop right near the boxes Calixte was hiding behind, and started to count them, not yet seeing him--though from where he was, he no doubt had a good view of the guns she kept holstered, one on each thigh.

Lion · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2015, 11:31:08 pm »

[*snort* I thought you meant her other guns. Y'know...boobs *snort* |8]

Calixte could see guns all right and if he weren't holding his breath, he likely would have been right then and there. Those were some damn fine pistols. He hadn't seen a set like those in years, much less handled a pair like that. He'd like to get his hands on those. And in fact, that's just what he decided to do. The owner likely wouldn't miss one, when they had the other right? Sure! Sharing was caring after all.

Cal peered upward from his brow ridge, looking up at a stick-like figure and slowly reached out to pull a gun from one of the holsters. He had a kitten's touch really. If it weren't for the sudden electrostatic discharge that zapped through the metal and onto Jericho's leg, he likely could have taken the pen without notice. The jolt was a strong one and Cal gasped before slamming a hand over his mouth to keep it shut.

But he sprung up, rather than hoping she didn't notice he was hanging around with his hands at her legs. He spun around her quickly and held one hand over the stick-figure's mouth and another around the arms to keep them at bay.

He inhaled abruptly and looked at an ear from the corner of his eye. "Hey...you smell really good! What are you wearing? Is that pizza? You got any left?" he whispered.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2015, 12:28:31 am »

[PEW PEW PEW! xDDDDD It makes Cal's "he hadn't handled a pair like that" deal 10x more hilarious.]

"Ow!" Jericho's yelp was muffled around a bite of pizza as a jolt of static shocked her. She hopped back from the crates out of reflex--

Right as a motherfucking dude sprang up from the shadows and grabbed her.

She went rigid from surprise at first, body tensing up and heart just about bursting from her chest, but despite her shock, she maintained a tight grip on her pizza slice with her arms pinned at her sides. Funny she should care about her pizza when this could be a life or death situation! There were people out there that wanted to murder her! He could be one!

For a moment, she was quiet as he spoke in her ear. Partially because his hand was over her mouth, and partially because she was still chewing pizza. She chewed her bite slowly, swallowed it down--

And suddenly chomped down hard on his hand right as she lifted her foot and slammed her heel down on his toes.

Lion · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2015, 12:53:45 am »

Calixte yowled! Like a cartoon character that accidently stepped on a rake or stepped on some hot coals. He reeled backwards when she bit his hand and stepped on his foot. However, he forced the pain from his mind and lunged for her pizza-wielding hand. "Give me that! I haven't eaten in days! I'm starving mad!" he growled.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2015, 01:12:22 am »

"What the fuck?! NO!" Jericho yelled as she threw her arm up just as he lunged, so he grabbed empty air.

And then she clamped her teeth down on the crust to hold the pizza in her mouth, which freed her hands up so she could draw her pistols and aim both of them at the crazy homeless dude that had somehow gotten on her ship! She pulled back the hammers with an audible click and widened her stance.

"Ethlain yoseth!"

Lion · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2015, 01:24:26 am »

She could do nothing short of launching him into the vacuum of space to keep him from getting that pizza. Except maybe point those guns at him. And when he heard that click, he charged his hands with electric bolts and zapped them at her hands. One, two, then a third just for good measure.

And he lunged for her again. Cal stumbled forward, hands trying to keep her at by while his teeth latched onto one end of the pizza and desperately began to yank on it like a dog with a chew toy.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2015, 01:36:07 am »

With a muffled curse, Jericho dropped her guns, her fingers tingling painfully--

And then Crazy Dude was IN HER FACE. Literally in her face with a slice of pizza between their mouths like some twisted version of some sappy cartoon animal story. Where one of the fluffy animals was rabid.

Whatthefuck??

She jumped back, and the pizza ripped between them with him getting the larger chunk, and she spat the rest at him when her back hit the corner of a crate hard. "Holy SHIT, dude! Are you--are you a zombie? Am I gonna get your shit? Oh, fuck, I bit you!"

Lion · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2015, 01:55:31 am »

When he got his share - and what a share it was! - he ate at it hungrily. He didn't have much in the way of manners and was swallowing down the pizza when she spoke. "What? Hell no! You're nuts, y'know that. I told you I was hungry! Hungry! For food! Real food. Pizza Foooood! I'm literally starving! You see these abs? They shouldn't be that thin! I don't mean like I want to be fat or anything. But this is literally the best pizza I've ever had. Ya got any more?"

He knew he was rambling, but he was hoping she'd focus more on the last thing he said than anything else.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2015, 11:45:44 am »

Jericho rubbed her flesh hand with her biomechanical one, her fingers still tingling with pins and needles. She stared at him, and her back ached where the crate corner had bruised her, but she stayed where she was and tried to process what he was saying.

Er...seriously?

"...You snuck on my fucking ship for pizza? Is that what I'm hearing right now?"

Lion · « **Reply #10 on:** March 10, 2015, 02:09:49 pm »

"Pizza? Well, no. I was kinda running from the Red-shirts that were following me," he said and gave her a toothy grin. There was a sudden banging on the hatch door and pissed off voices on the other side. "That'll be them probably. So about that pizza." He didn't bother waiting for an answer and walked around into the corridor, following his nose like a dog on the trail.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2015, 09:15:02 am »

"Red Shirts? What the--what the fuck?! You fucking brought them here?!"

And then came the banging at the door, and Jericho's heart leaped. Shiiiit! While she knew the Reds really wouldn't care about what cargo she was carrying, so long as it wasn't a threat to the station, there was corruption within the Reds, just the same as there was corruption anywhere else on the Cancer, and any Red might take her in just to collect the bounty if they'd seen it!

Raking both hands through her hair and tugging it in frustration, she then realized the guy was gone--and startled.

Oh hell no.

"Don't you touch that pizza!" she shouted as she raced down the corridor after him. "It was fucking expensive! You know how much they charge for real food?! You keep your grubby mitts away from it or I swear I WILL shoot your ass!"

Lion · « **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2015, 02:24:56 am »

"Oh don't over react! It's not like I held a sign up and said, hey come storm this ship, it's got delicious pizza! Speaking of which, don't bogart the pizza honey, it ain't attractive." Despite the threat of being shot - in the ass no less - Calixte immediately snatched a slice and slumped down one of the pilot seats of her ship.

"I haven't eat in days! C'mon! You can't be that stingy, besides, I did show you my abs? I mean, have you seen a finer specimen? I think not! If you wanna shot me in the ass, the least you could do was let me have dinner first. Then we can get to the spanking. Getting shot sure beats gettin' prodded by needles all day!"

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2015, 03:31:34 pm »

"ARGH!" He was eating her pizza! And sitting in her chair! HER chair! Rushing into the room, Jericho snatched the pizza box up and held it out of his reach (because, you know, she had her priorities straight), and then reached into an overhead compartment with her free hand and grabbed a handful of something.

Which turned out to be nutrition bars. Which she promptly threw at the man.

"You're hungry? Eat those! But this pizza? It's mine. All mine. Except for that slice. You can have that. But that's it, you hear me? Also you can get your ass right out of that chair and off my ship before I--wait. Needles? What the fuck?"

The banging at the hatch door grew louder, more angry, and muffled shouts could be heard from the other side. Though Jericho couldn't make them out well, she thought it sounded suspiciously like, "Open up, or we'll pry it open!"

Lion · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2015, 12:47:32 am »

Oh one slice of pizza, she was remarkably generous! He hoped this ship was big enough for her massive head, lest she bump into something and deflate herself! Calixte inwardly scoffed but continued to bite at the slice of pizza oh so casually. No reason he couldn't take his time and enjoy it. It was the only bit of good food he'd had since, well...ah he already'd been over this.

Cal glanced at the nutrition bars. "Hm, chocolate. That'll do," he said and pocketed a few into the trousers that he'd stolen. No reason he couldn't have a change of clothes after escaping. Besides this jacket fit him like a dream! He continued to eat casually even as the Red Shirts began to bang on the door in ever growing fury.

He looked down the corridor from the cockpit where he'd so nonchalantly walked on and immediately turned to her. "Look, you can't open that door. You let them in here we're both dead!" he said and swallowed a bite of pizza. "You just get in that other chair over there and hit the throttle! We'd be out of here like two beans out of the ass end of Neptune, yeah? Yeah! Name's Cal!"

"You don't open this door in the next ten seconds cutting through the hull!" came another muffled shout. This time even Calixte knew they meant business and it wasn't going to be long before they followed through on that promise.

In a moment of eyeopening fear, Cal shot his hand out to grab her wrists, eyes actually pleading with her. And boy could he pull off one hell of a puppy-dog face.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2015, 11:24:22 am »

As much as Jericho hated to admit it--because gods, how she hated being wrong!--this guy, Cal, was right. She opened that door, the Reds would come pouring in like ants and her ass would be grass. Probably.

And now they were threatening to hack apart her baby?! Oh hell no.

She met Cal's eyes, though pathetic kicked puppy eyes, her lips drawn into a thin line as she glowered down at him and wondered how possible it was to toss him out and shut the hatch before she gunned it. Not possible at all, but a girl could dream! She didn't much like the idea of taking people on, much less a random dude with weird abilities! She was a lone wolf! And what if he tried commandeering her ship?

There was a sudden, loud buzzing sound outside.

...Time was up!

"Shiiiit!" she groaned, before she yanked her hands free and practically flew into the other seat--the co-pilot's chair that never actually held another body--and let the pizza box fall into her lap. With a few flipped switches and a push of the throttle, the ship roared to life and she gunned it.

There were some muffled shouts and angry yells, but the Renegade Riot was already on a roll. Angry lights flashed as she zipped through the station, nearly clipping another ship and cutting off several others before, with a burst, they were out in open space and the station was a big hunk of metal swiftly shrinking into a silver dot.

With a relieved sigh, Jericho sat back in her seat and took a breather.

And once she'd taken that breather, she slowly turned her head to look at Cal, green eyes blazing.

Lion · « **Reply #16 on:** March 27, 2015, 12:46:44 am »

A buzz saw, really? He would’ve thought a plasma cutter would have been a better way to go. Calixte was no mechanic, but he was pretty sure most places weren’t nearly as up to date on their cutting tech as the TRIM facility was. Oh, look at me, he thought, Getting uppity now are we?

Calixte was sweating bullets. And he honestly thought the odd woman had half a mind to throw him off his ship – and he’d be an idiot if he thought she really wouldn’t get rid of him later on – but he was sure his charm would grow on her. He braced himself, and suddenly the ship blast off –literally! Thank gods he held his pizza in his teeth!

He whooped with great exuberance! And howled in the air like a wolf, tearing the pizza from his teeth and swallowing down the bite without even chewing. And at Jericho’s glare, Cal smiled.

He stood up and gestured to the seat he’d so graciously taken from her. “Thanks, they really would’ve had your ass for sure.” The pizza was held gingerly in one hand, as he put a hand in his pocket, and held the crust like a cigar. “I guess I should probably tell you now that they’re gonna come after us. Even if we’re already in open space. Guys like that probably already have starships in orbit, guns ready to blaze. But we have a few seconds ahead of them. Hm, if they realize the good money in it, they might even hunt us to the very edge of the galaxy.”

He snorted a laugh and gestured to her chair. “Your seat. Captain,” he grinned and took a bite from the crust and walked casually down the corridor of the Riot.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #17 on:** March 31, 2015, 09:57:22 am »

"Hey now! Just back the hell up!" Jericho snapped, and leaped to her feet.

Hunt them to the very edge of the galaxy?! Now, Jericho was a criminal, but she wasn't that big of a name! She was "get chased by bounty hunters for several light years" infamous, not "get hunted by government officials forever 'til the end of the galaxy" infamous. And she was fine with that! It was just the right amount of adventure and danger without being obnoxious.

So if she was going to get chased that doggedly, it wouldn't be because if her drugs.

She was smart enough to connect the dots there.

It didn't take long for her to catch up, and when she did, she grabbed him by the back of his shirt with her biomechanical arm and spun him, slamming him up against the hallway wall. "Stop. Just stop. I want some goddamned explanations and I want them now! Who the hell are you?"

Lion · « **Reply #18 on:** April 03, 2015, 11:34:25 pm »

Okay so Cal really should've been expecting that, he thought. He put his hands up in a show of innocence as she slammed him back against the side of the corridor. He could feel the magnetism just itching beneath his skin at the contact of the metal and he smiled wide-eyed at her. "Hey! Easy now!" he hissed, feeling a bolt poking through his shoulderblade. That was going to bruise in the morning.

"Now just give me some room to breathe here, geeze!" he coughed and dusted himself off. "I told you the last part already, Captain. My name is Cal. Short for Calixte. Look, I'm not trying to get you into any trouble, but sometimes things just turn out that way, y'know? That's life! Shit happens and sometimes there ain't nothing you can do about it!"

He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Besides, there's no telling just what they'd do to me if they catch us. Not to mention what they'd do to you. TRIM gets all butt hurt when they find out about missing property. Missing as in escaped. And property as in yours truly." And he grinned charmingly and pointed both thumbs to himself.

Rhi-Rhi · « **Reply #19 on:** April 14, 2015, 02:58:50 pm »

Jericho's eyes went wide and for a long moment she forgot to breathe as his words settled in her brain like a heavy, crushing weight that would surely become a headache later. Missing property? TRIM?! ESCAPED?!

There was illegal activity and criminal activity and as a proud pirate, she happily participated in both! Then there was just plain stupid and suicidal, and thiiiiis fell into that range LIKE WHOA. Only the very idiotic would tangle with the likes of TRIM. That wasn't cowardice, that was a fact! And if they caught her, she'd be on the dissection table right alongside Cal!

When she could breathe again, she let her breath out in a whoosh and roughly released him, taking a large step back from him even though her eyes never left his.

"You're a fucking TRIM escapee?" she said, as though needing to say it out loud so it sank in. How could he be so nonchalant?! "...Holy sweet gods. Are you serious right now? Oh fuck. HOW the fuck did--? Ohhh fuuuck..."

She ran both hands through her hair and tugged at it again as she began to pace, still processing this and what it meant for her. He was a TRIM escapee and now she was harboring him! She was harboring him and people knew! Worse yet, she couldn't just turn him in! That would be the smart thing to do, but goddammit, she knew what TRIM did and she wasn't about to condemn someone to that. She couldn't live with herself if she did! She was a criminal, but she had honor!

Cupping her face in her hand, she drew in a deep breath.

"Count yourself lucky you slipped on my ship, then," she finally said from behind her hand. "Anyone else would turn you in."