Remnants of the Earth
Ships => Ships => Sassy Juice => Topic started by: paganchick on May 04, 2013, 05:43:13 pm
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It was a busy day on cancer, a day that made the pickings easy for Neo. She was good at what she did, even among thieves and cut throats she could still manage to make a pretty good wage. Enough to pay her dues with her mother's pimp and enough to survive with. She walked around wearing black cargo pants that hung low on her waist, combat boots and a dark long sleeve, form fitting shirt. The color of her outfit contrasted greatly with her skin but helped hide any dirt that were on them. As she walked the shirt rode up a bit, revealing some of the pale skin of her mid drift as well as a hint of a tattoo on her side.
It didn't take her long to spot the her next victim, he looked easy enough. He was an asshole, she could tell that simply by the way he walked, he was also very attractive. That was what caught her eyes after all, the same thing that drew people to her. She acted like she was on the phone, talking, arguing a bit with whoever was on the other line before bumping into him, slipping his money out as she did so. She kept walking didn't even turn back to look at the man, still arguing with the imaginary person on the other end.
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Ari was on his way back to Sassy when it happened--some chick bumped that was too into her phone conversation bumped into him. It jostled him, and with a scowl he spun to tell her to watch it, but she was already gone. Jeez. Rude! Not that he was one to talk--aw fuck.
He slipped his hand into his pocket and let out a loud groan. Aw, fuck, he should have known! It was the classic maneuver.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late. And unfortunately for her, she'd just robbed a pirate.
Spinning on his heel, he shoved through the crowd and took off after her. He hadn't gotten a good glimpse of her--only of her cell phone and what she looked like from behind--but it was enough to go off of, and it wasn't long before he caught up with her. Hopefully it was the right girl, or this would be a bit awkward.
Grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling out his gun, he pressed between her shoulder blades. "I think ya got somethin' of mine there, sweetheart."
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Neo had long put the phone away and had thought that she was home free, already giving her the money to her mother's pimp and going to her little hide away to wait a few hours. That was until she felt the gun between her shoulder blades. She put her hands up, mentally cursing but not letting it show on her face or in her body language.
"I have no idea who you are, or what you are talking about sweet cheeks," Neo responded, not seeming exactly worried about the gun pressed against her back. What was he gonna do? Shoot her, that would be a complete idiotic move on him, of course, people weren't often known for their smarts around those parts.
"Go ahead, check me, you will find nothing but a cell phone babe," She added, standing there with her hip popped slightly, seeming a bit impatient.
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Ari snorted. Sweet cheeks, eh? Hah. She was a woman after his own heart--if she hadn't gone after his money. And now she was playing dumb. Well, fine. He could play that game.
Putting his gun away, he yanked her off to the side and out of the crowd, then spun her around and shoved her against the wall, front-first.
"Alright, then, darlin'," he said, leaning in close and speaking into her ear. "We'll have it your way. Ya wanna be frisked like a bitch, I'll frisk ya, but ya could save us both a whole helluva lot of trouble if ya just manned up." Grabbing her hands, he planted both on the wall near her head, then kicked her legs apart. "Not that it ain't fun for me or nothin'. Now hold that pose."
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"I don't have your money, I think someone else might have got you before I had the chance, unfortunately," Neo said holding the pose, chuckling a bit to herself, it seemed that she might enjoy this as much as he would.
"Rawr, I like a man who can talk dirty to me," Neo said leaning her head back slightly laughing.
"Now bastard be careful, I am a bit ticklish, and hey, who says that I won't like it," She spoke with a bit of a laugh. She grew up with a prostitute as a mother and a pimp for her so called daddy so there was nothing that this man could do to her that hadn't already been done before.
The only thing the man would find was a cell phone and a couple of blades, nothing else.
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"Honey, ya can't thieve a thief," Ari said, and started to pat her down, starting from her sleeves and working down her sides. "That bump 'n' run thing? It's a classic. And besides, darlin', ya give yourself away too easy. Ya ain't nearly scared and confused enough to be innocent."
His hands slid over her front and over her breasts, where they lingered a bit longer than they should have. "Didn't stash it in your bra, didja?" he asked, then moved on, patting down her belly and then down her hips.
He reached into her pockets and found the cell phone. Pulling it out, he turned it on, flipped through the menu screen, and accessed her recent calls.
"Hmmm. Ain't that funny. No calls made or received in the last ten minutes. Who were ya talkin' to, sugar?"
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"I live on Cancer, I have my entire life, when you live in a place like this there isn't much that scares or confuses you, trust me, this isn't the first time I have been patted down, but you are the most attractive guy to do it," Neo said looking over her shoulder and winking at the man.
"Usually you are supposed to buy a girl a drink first," Neo laughed as she left his hands slide over her breast.
"I am sure you would have felt it if I did, it isn't like I have triple d's to hide it in," Neo spoke with a laugh, not seeming to really care his hands lingered there longer than they should, she had gotten his money but there was no way he could prove it was her, just her word against his.
"Well if you couldn't tell, I wanted to forget the bastard, so along with his contact I deleted my call history. For a stranger with no proof I stole anything you are awfully interested in my history."
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"Aww, well ain't that just convenient. Of course ya did." Ari slipped the phone back into her pocket and finished patting down the rest of her, checking her legs and even the sides of her shoes.
When he was done, he straightened up, took her by the shoulder, and turned her around so she was facing him. He leaned in close to her, his own hands planted on either side of her head as he kept her trapped there with his body.
"Might wanna just fess up, darlin'. If ya don't got it, ya better tell me where it is, or ya better start thinkin' real hard about how you're gonna make it up to me. You're cute and all, but I don't deal well with thieves. So think fast, and talk fast, 'cause I'm about ready to go medieval on your ass."
Reaching for his belt, he produced a military issue knife. He held it up for her to see.
"Startin' with with those sticky fingers of yours."
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"A thief that gets mad when he gets thieved, a bit hypocritical don't ya think?," Neo spoke, leaning against the wall appearing almost at perfect ease, she had been in stickier situations before, did this man really think she didn't have any blades on her?
She looked up into his eyes, nothing but stone and defiance there. She tightened her jaw a bit, her face was calm but inside she was thinking, idea's flowing. She couldn't get his money back and she knew that much, but should she confess?
Neo turned her head a bit when the man started to talk, making a face of displeasure, "God damn, when was the last time you brushed your teeth? Did you eat eggs and shitty ass for breakfast?" She spoke, making a bit of a gagging noise.
"Your breath is torture enough!" She spoke.
Neo pulled up her sleeve revealing a tattoo, a series of numbers that marked her as a slave because she owed a debt.
"My mother's pimp has your money, he won't give it willing, you would have to kill him, which I would be completely okay with, trust me," She spoke her head still turned sideways to avoid his breath.
"You said you were a pirate right? Well I am a hacker, I could work off my debt, would get me out of her, but you are going to have to sneak me out."
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Ari pursed his lips and seemed to be deep in thought. "Hmm, naw. Not eggs. I think what you're smellin' is whore," he said with a grin.
When she exposed the tattoos on her arm, he regarded them with mild interest, but he was beginning to lose his patience. At least he'd gotten a confession out of her--which was always damned satisfying, he had to admit; she was sure acting tough, but he'd gotten her to crack--but he was none too pleased to learn of where his money had wound up. And she had yet to provide him with a means of making it right. With a sigh, he casually took hold of her tattooed arm and planted it up against the wall, then manipulated the fingers of her hand with his own to stretch out her pinky.
He was very close to following through with his threat when she spoke.
Ari paused, the knife raised. "Never said I was a pirate, darlin'," he said. "But that's an awful good guess."
He withdrew the knife and tapped it to his lips. "So tell me more about this hackin' business and why I should trust ya aboard my ship around my belongin's. Ya gotta sell yourself, honey. Make me interested."
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"I would wash my mouth out with something, maybe bleach if I were you, you probably caught something if that is watch she smelled like , Jesus, bath and some mouthwash," Neo spoke, tensing as her arms was raised. If the knife got any closer she was all but ready to defend herself, and he would be worried about more than chopping off her pinky, especially if he were castrated.
"I followed you for a while, while you were here, and I have hung around enough unsavory characters to pick up on a pirate. No one is more serious about their money than a pirate," She spoke pulling her hand from his grip, gently massaging her wrist. She sighed deeply, she shouldn't have told him, he was getting too much enjoyment out of this. She reached up, rubbing the back of her neck thinking, or at least appearing to think about her response.
"Ya ain't much of a pirate if you don't know about hackers, I deal with breaking into places I am not suppose to be, not physical places, places in the interwebs. I can get information, better yet major dough with the right equipment," Neo explained, her voice full of sarcasm and sass.
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And now it all came spilling out. Ari smiled as she unraveled.
"Darlin', I know all about hackers. Got a few that work for me. What I'm askin' is what're your credentials? What makes you special? Special enough for me to take ya on my ship after that little stunt of yours."
He reached up, drawing the flat of his blade over her cheek in a touch that was gentle as a caress but hinted at violence. He had to admit, he liked this one. He wasn't sure how he liked her yet--whether he liked her because she was fun to fuck with and would be fun to break, or because she didn't intimidate easy and would be useful to have around--but he liked her.
"Like I said, poppet, ya gotta sell yourself. So if ya wanna come with me, ya gotta impress me." He paused, the knife tracing her lips. "So how about this: we put ya to the test. If ya can use your hackin' to get me back the money ya stole, you're in. If ya fail, well..."
He smiled. "Don't fail."
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Neo had palmed a blade in the hand that was held to her side and as Ari but the knife to her lips she jerked the knife to his groin, pressing it there enough where he could feel it but not hard enough to actually hurt him, yet that is.
"I don't like knives in my face sweet cheeks, if you like having your.... Male endowments, I would suggest you get that out of my face!" Neo growled, leaning forward a bit, pressing the knife against his pants a bit harder. Her arm was tense, and with any movement she would deem as threatening, she would not hesitate to go through with her offer.
"I'll get you back half your money, so you have a reason to keep me, and doll face, if you think I am scared of all your little threats, you have another thing coming," She spoke, one hand pushing against his chest then other pressing the knife into his groin area.
"So why don't you back the hell up out of my personal space, I will get you half of your money back for now and you can go brush your teeth before I puke in your face."
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Ari let out a low sigh and bit back a wince. They always went for the nuts. Perhaps he should have taken those blades when he'd found them, but a dark part of him had been curious as to what would happen if he didn't.
However, it was in that very crucial moment when she put the knife to him and tried to negotiate that he made a decision.
He held up both hands, knife still in the one, and took a step backwards. "Alright, alright," he said, and with a little twirling flourish he sheathed the blade. "Fine. Ya strike a hard bargain, sweetheart, but I accept. Now, the real question is, how do I know you're gonna be true and ain't gonna just run off?"
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Neo smiled victoriously. He had won the first battle and she had won the second, it seemed the war that would surely continue was tied at the moment. His wince brought her that much more satisfaction, she quickly realized that was at least one of his weak spots, as it was for most men.
Neo crossed her arms, her muscles still tense, in case he tried to lunge at her expecting her to put her guard down.
"Where would I run. It is clear that you can run faster than me, you did catch up to me after all just now? I can't just leave anytime I want, I am bound, I am a slave. As I said, you will have to sneak me onto your ship if you wish me to get your money back. An doll face, I ain't no sweetheart," Neo said, tapping her foot.
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"Sweetheart," Ari said, using the word now just to annoy her, "as far as I'm concerned, everythin' you've said is a lie. But alright. Alright. Y'know what? I'm gonna trust ya right now."
He smiled at her and lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Ya got spirit, ya want offa this rusty shithole...well, shit, I empathize. C'mon. I get ya on my ship, ya get my money back. Deal?"
He held out his hand.
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Neo just stared at Ari for a moment, could she trust him. Or better yet, should she trust him, the man who several minutes before was threatening to cut her pinky off? Neo’s gazed moved to Ari’s hand. He seemed to have decided to trust her, even though he had no real proof she was what she said she was, so did she really have a choice.
So though a bit hesitant, Neo did take his hand, offering up a firm. She could keep her word, she knew that much, hacking came natural to her. She wondered though how, when stuck on a much smaller ship they would fare. A small smirk crossed her face, she knew one thing, it would definitely not be boring.
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Ari clasped her hand in his and gave it a firm shake before releasing. He smiled, looking completely at ease, like he hadn't just threatened to maim her moments ago.
"Alright then, darlin', now that we've come to a nice little understandin' of sorts, how 'bout I show ya the ship, eh?"
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Neo was half expecting Ari to try to stab her or something but was relieved when he didn't, she still did not trust him though, and she doubted she would trust him any time soon. Neo slipped her blade back into her pocket as she crossed her arms.
"That does seem like the best idea don't ya think? Please tell me it isn't some rust bucket you can barely be called safe," Neo said raising an eyebrow, that is the last place she would want to be stranded.
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"What? No! Why Sassy, she's a real beaut. You'll see." And with a sidelong glance her way, he added, "That's the first rule, by the way. I don't tolerate any insults toward her. She's the hardest worker among everyone in my crew so ya best respect her."
With that said, Ari motioned for her to follow. "Now, c'mon. Ain't a long walk to the docking bay."
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"As long as 'she' doesn't give me a reason to insult her, I won't sweet cheeks," Neo spoke giving Ari's bottom a good hard smack. She couldn't help but smirk, though her hand didn't linger on his ass, she could tell by the quick contact that it was most definitely a nice ass.
She walked slightly behind him, making sure he couldn't return the favor and slap her ass, she was making up for all the feels he had had earlier.
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"Sassy is a doll, she doesn't insult anyone. Treat her right, honey, 'cause your life is in her shiny metal...well, not hands, but--"
Ari cut off with a gasp and a jolt when she smacked his ass, then tossed a look over his shoulder and smirked. "Little harder next time, sweetheart," he said, and continued on his way.
It was a short walk to the docks, and it wasn't hard to find the Sassy Juice. She was a decent sized ship, if on the small side as far as ships went, but what stood out about her was the colorful, graffiti style paint job along the side of it.
"There she is."
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Neo winked, "No, you would like it too much," She replied to his 'a little harder' comment. She was being rather serious too, she knew his kind well enough. Neo had a bit of a look of doubt as she thought over his words, she knew how captains could be overly fond of their ships. He was right though, once they left cancer her life would depend of Sassy, and she hoped Ari was right.
Neo put her hand on her hip which was popped as she looked over the ship. It was a bit small, it would not doubt be a bit cramped but she had lived in worse.
"Nice paint job, if anything it is original," Neo spoke as she continued to look over the ship.
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"Yeah, I would!" Ari agreed, and then broke out into a grin when she complimented his ship. "Damn right it's original. Some of those designs were done by old crew. Stick around long enough and ya might get to add somethin', too."
Striding up the gangplank, he opened up the ship and motioned for her to enter. "Well, here we are, m'lady. After you."
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Neo couldn't hold back the laugh when she realized that Ari thought she was complimenting his ship, she bit her lip so she didn't get too loud.
"You must plan for me sticking around for a while don't ya," Neo stated as she walked to Ari but not past him, she was suspicious, he didn't seem like the type to have manners. She had a feeling that he was going to get her back for slapping him.
So as she walked past she turned, never putting her back towards him. If he was going to get her he would have to be more clever than that.
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"I plan on all my crew stickin' around long term," Ari said as he followed her inside, shutting the entrance behind them. "Plans don't always succeed, people have other goals, and hey, sometimes shit happens."
He sidled up beside her. "Here, lemme give ya the grand tour, show ya where you'll be stayin' and where the important shit is--like the bathrooms. And why don'tcha tell me a bit about yourself, eh? Like maybe, for starters, your name. I'm Ari, by the way. Ari Maxwell."
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"I will only stick around as long as it is benefiting me, life is short, not reason wasting it on shit that isn't helping you," Neo replied. She looked around, it wasn't bad, she had seen worse, far worse. It appeared that the place was at least decent.
"Bathroom, bed, and where I will be hacking are the only places I will be needing to see, so that excludes your bed," Neo spoke turning to him and crossing her arms.
"The name is Neo O'landry, so nice to meet you Ari," She spoke, her voice a bit cold.
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"Well, Neo, that's a right shame. My bed's pretty big, and it's got that nice memory foam," Ari said, then stepped past her and motioned her to follow.
"But alright, no pleasure and straight to business, gotcha. I can respect that. Right this way, then."
He lead Neo down the hall, then paused by a door along the way. "Shit, one sec. Gotta feed my fish real quick. And since you don't wanna see the captain's quarters, wait here a tick, alright?" Opening the door, he slipped inside. "Unless ya change your mind, of course," he added before he shut the door behind him.
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"I am sure," Neo spoke looking at him with a bit of doubt and a lot of attitude. Neo followed Ari in silence as they walked down the hall, the ship seeming a bit bigger than she had expected, which was always a good thing. She hoped she wouldn't be put in a closet or something to sleep in.
Neo was a bit surprised, thinking it a bit odd that the man had pet fish. Neo leaned against the wall for a moment but quickly found herself over flowing with curiosity, she wanted to see what his quarters looked like.
So she opened the door and stepped inside, slowly looking around the room.
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Ari was standing by the head of his bed, where a 20 gallon fish tank was located atop his nightstand. Within it were a number of brightly colored fish with unusual designs. Hearing the door open, he turned to look--then smirked when he saw Neo there.
"Well, well. Thought ya weren't interested in seein' my bed, darlin'."
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"Who said I came in here to look at your bed sweet cheeks, don't flatter yourself, I didn't come in here because I missed you either, I wanted to look at your fish," Neo replied with a raised eyebrow. She walked over to the tank, standing in front of it, admiring the fish, they were beautiful, she had to admit that much. The man seemed to have decent taste in pets it seemed, but that was probably where that line was drawn.
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Ari arched an eyebrow. "Yeah? Ya a fish person?"
Reaching for a small container, he sprinkled a few pellets into the water and closed the top again. "Anyhow, now you've seen 'em, so unless ya plan on stayin' the night, why don't we getcha to your place now, eh?" He motioned to the door.
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"In a hurry much?" Neo spoke with a laugh as she walked out, depending on how her bed looked like she just might take him up on an offer to stay the night.
"Oh yeah, and add kitchen to my list of places to show me, a girls gotta eat," She spoke laughing as she waited for Ari to show her which way to go.
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"Ah, well see, that wasn't in your original list," Ari said with a laugh. "So too bad, eh?"
Nudging her out the door and closing it behind him, he motioned down the hall to indicate that she should keep walking. "Your room's at the end of this hall, down these stairs. It ain't super special, but since you're an impromptu addition, we're just gonna have to make do for now."
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"I will find the kitchen, with or without your help, this ship isn't that big, wouldn't take me over an hour, probably not even thirty minutes," Neo replied before thinking about the placement of the room.
"I hope by, 'ain't nothing special' you do not mean a closet, because that sounds like where a closet would be," Neo replied crossing her arms and staring at him. She was not going to sleep in no closet, she knew she was small, but hell no, that simply would not happen.
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Ari snorted and shook his head. "Naw, it ain't a closet. Ya wouldn't even fit. What I mean by 'nothin' special' is it ain't all that furnished yet. Furnished well enough for now, but largely unfinished. Got busy, wasn't expectin' another person, y'know how it goes." He shrugged and walked ahead of her, turning only to motion her along.
"Keep an open mind, darlin'. Ya can pass judgment after you've seen it."
He opened the door at the end of the hall, revealing stairs leading down to a lower level.
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"I have seen closets I have been able to fit in, so I guess when I see it I will be able to tell you if it is a closet, and I will not sleep in a closet," Neo spoke as she followed him, but waited for him to go down the stairs first.
"Lady's first," Neo spoke motioning him to go ahead in front of her. She didn't trust him, what if he tried to starve her out or something, she didn't know. So she wasn't fond of the idea of going don't the steps first.
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Ari smiled sweetly. "Afraid of the dark?" he asked, but shrugged and pushed past her, heading down the stairs and vanishing into the dark. "I promise there ain't any ghosts down here. Those are only in the engine room."
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"Oh, it isn't the dead I am worried about sweet cheeks, trust me, the living are much more volatile," Neo said as she followed him down into the darkness. The darkness put her on edge. She didn't know what to expect from her environment or Ari and that made it worse.
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"That's a good attitude to have," came Ari's voice from somewhere ahead of her. "Alright, now hold on a sec. Gotta find the light here...ah."
A second later, the lights flashed on, blinding after the pitch black. They were standing in a large spacious room with many boxes and crates stacked here and there, some clear to the ceiling--clearly making this the cargo bay. Other than that it was empty--except for what appeared to be a crude cell located by the far wall, though 'cell' was generous. It was more of a cage.
And then there was Ari, standing there with his gun drawn, cocked, and pointed at Neo.
"End of the line, darlin'," he said. "Shed your knives now. Just set 'em on the ground. Very slowly."
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Neo could tell something was up, he was being way too nice, so she already had two blades palmed. She was blinded by the light so she couldn't run, then there she was, gun pointed at her and she felt her blood start to boil. She looked over at the cage, knowing that was where he planned on putting her and that made her rage grow, and her small form shook with the rage.
Neo just stood there for a moment, weighing her options, could she escape without major injury? She didn't know, that all depended if he wanted to shoot in his own ship that he loved so much and if he was a good shot.
So without a second though, at the words 'shed your knives' she did, but not in the way he would be expecting. She threw them at him, yes she might get shot but, he would get stabbed. She wasn't one to go down with out a fight, she was born a slave, she wasn't going to become someone elses willingly.
As soon as the knives left her head she headed up the steps as fast as she could praying she didn't get hit by a bullet.
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Unfortunately for Neo, Ari was a very good shot.
And unfortunately for Neo, 14 years of piracy didn't count for nothing, and he didn't get as far as he did by not being prepared--and by walking into a situation without accounting for multiple scenarios.
And when he was dealing with an impulsive, foolish young girl who seemed to think herself untouchable? No, he didn't think she'd just roll over and set her knives down nicely.
He was ready to move as soon as she raised her hands, and as she chucked them at him, he jerked his body sideways to avoid the brunt of it, though one grazed his bicep. As for her? Well, something told him she thought he was bluffing when it came to actually using that gun.
He wasn't.
He waited until she got to the second step before he aimed for her ankle and fired.
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His aim was a bit high, Neo felt herself hit the stairs hard as she felt the bullet go through her calf. She let out a gasp and a small whimper of pain. Her chest was heaving as the pain set in. It was bad but it could be worse. She laid there crumpled on the steps, knowing Ari would be there to drag her to the cage before too long. She had other things to care about now, her leg being her main priority now. It looked like the bullet had pretty much missed the bone, which was a good thing, meant the healing would be easier, less pain.
"You son of a bitch," She growled, she was definitely going to kill his fish when she had the chance and she was sure she would get the chance, now it was all about patience.
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"I toldja to put the knives down, sugar," Ari said, walking toward her, gun still trained on her. "This was your decision. I didn't have to shoot ya. Hell, I didn't even want to."
Reaching into one of the large pockets of his cargo pants, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs--usually kept stored in his room in his nightstand drawer, but he'd made that pit stop on the way down here. Always good to be prepared and all.
"Now," he said, one foot on the bottom step. "Ya got anymore surprises there I should know about?"
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Neo gritted her teeth and laughed bitterly.
"My decision? Who are you kidding, you didn't leave room for me to make a decision. I was born into shackles, I am not going to willingly lose those for a new pair," She spoke, her voice a bit hoarse from the pain.
"What do you think bastard? You patted me down, you should know if I have anything else," She added, her voice filled with venom. She couldn't run, and she couldn't fight, she probably couldn't walk though she was sure she was about to find out. She tried to keep her breathing calm, to keep herself calm but it was hard. She could feel the blood trickling down her leg
"Will I get some medical attention when you get done cuffing me or am I going to be left to die of gangrene?"
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Ari shook his head. "Then ya shoulda made some smarter choices earlier on, honey," he said, and grabbed her by the arm. He hauled her up to her feet and kept a firm grip so she didn't buckle; he knew it would be painful for her, but that was the point.
"Lemme lay this out for ya real nice and easy in words ya can understand, alright? Ya made your bed. Ya made it when ya stole my money, put a knife to my crotch, and tried to negotiate after I'd already laid out the conditions. Now listen, when I said I'd let ya prove yourself, let ya join if ya returned everything you'd stole? That was real. Then ya went and fucked it up, so here we are. Now, your bed could've been a nice one, but instead? Well, let's go check it out, shall we?"
He didn't care if she could walk or not. Whether she stayed on her feet or not wasn't his concern, because he still dragged her toward the cell, which was decorated with little more than a thin cot and a chamber pot.
He shoved her inside and shut the door behind her.
"These cuffs here? You're gonna earn these. If ya earn 'em, it means you're allowed to move about the ship. Then ya get to earn the right to move about without 'em--if ya don't fuck this up, and if ya learn to stop actin' like a rabid dog. As for medical treatment, darlin', that's also on you. First you're gonna get my money back."
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Neo reached up as she grabbed her arms, her nails digging into his shoulder as she tried to use him for a bit of balance she managed to hop most of the way without falling.
"Go burn in hell you bastard!" Neo growled as she was shoved inside the cage, falling rather hard. She caught herself with her arms but it just managed to make her forearms hurt from the shock.
She drug herself to the cot, teeth gritted the entire way, cussing him out mentally with each movement she made before finally making it to the cot. She pulled herself onto it, adjusting her leg very gingerly before laying back. She took a deep breath.
Neo had never been shot, but she had been beaten worse, she just hoped she didn't get an infection. It didn't take long before the cot began to get stained with her blood. She slowly leaned back up, taking her long sleeved shirt off, revealing a spaghetti strap back shirt. She ripped her long sleeve shirt after pulling up her pants, trying to access the damage. If Ari was watching she wasn't paying him any mind.
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"Oh, I'm sure I will," Ari remarked with a shrug, watching her impassively as she worked on her wound. He folded his arms over his chest. She wouldn't bleed out; he'd been very careful about where he'd shot her. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to be miserable, and considering there was no exit wound, that bullet was still in there. That wound wouldn't be healing properly.
"Now, I'm gonna fetch ya a data pad, and you're gonna put your hackin' skills to use. Understood? Ya do that, we'll get your leg treated."
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Neo was stuck between a hard place, and a much harder place that inflicted a lot of pain. She would get him his money. She could take the pain but that didn't mean she wanted to. When he left she tried to pick out the bullet but with no success, the white searing pain wouldn't allow it.
"By medical treatment, you mean more than a bandage and a wish good luck?" She asked looking up at him, her face bitter but still she knew what the better of her two options were.
-
Ari left her then, but returned shortly with the data pad as promised. Pausing by the cell, he tilted his head curiously.
"We're a ship of pirates, missy. Considerin' the scraps we get in, wouldn't ya figure we'd have a skilled physician on board?"
He slid the data pad through the bars to her.
"Ya do what I ask and you'll get the proper treatment ya need. Anesthesia, bullet removal, stitches, antibiotics, whatever it takes because I ain't a fuckin' doctor so I'm gonna leave your care to him. He's good at what he does, though, I can tell ya that much."
-
Neo looked relieved when he said he wasn't a doctor, glad she wouldn't have to suffer at his hands.
"I was just making sure that by treatment, you meant proper treatment," Neo said as she took the data pad. She quickly started poking and sliding away, getting right to work, her hands moving very quickly as her eyes jerks from place to place on the pad quickly.
"Do you have a card that I can put the money on, or a chip or something?"
-
"Sure do," Ari said with a smile. "I expect that when ya reach that screen, you'll hand that over so I can enter in my own data."
-
"Do you think that I can' hack into that?" She asked instinctively.
It didn't take too long, and she glad he hadn't been carrying too much money on his person as she handed the data pad back to him, A simple screen was there that would require a bit of information so the money would be channeled to the right places.
"that should do it, their, your money."
-
"No," Ari replied, "but I also think you'd do well with a better brain-to-mouth filter. If you're thinkin' about hackin' my account, ya might not wanna lay that all out on the table like that."
Taking the data pad, he entered in his information and gave her a cheery smile. "But since you've said that, if anythin' happens to my account after this, I'll be blamin' you. Bear that in mind."
He pressed submit and it was done. Briefly, he checked his account to make sure it was there, then pocketed the data pad.
"Alright, sweetheart, a deal's a deal. Turn around and put your hands behind your back."
-
"Wasn't planning on, if I were, as you mentioned, I wouldn't tell you," Neo replied, watching him as he checked everything. She did it, everything was there.
Neo truly wasn't thinking about hacking his account, well that was, while she was on this ship. But thirty years down the road she would remember his name, and if it was still bitter in her mouth like it was now... Well he would pay.
"Would you help... Please," Neo said, making herself choke out the please.
"Or do I get the pleasure of being dragged there and back?"
-
With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Ari opened the cell, stepped inside, and pulled her arms behind her back. Well, well. She'd put up such a tough front before, and now she was being all pitiful.
Ari wasted no time in cuffing her. "Well, since ya did as ya were told and asked so nicely..." he said, and then he scooped her up easily, bridal-style. She was light and tiny in his arms so it didn't take much effort to carry her out of the cell and up the stairs. However, the gesture wasn't all pure; the hand supporting her legs was planted a little too high up her thigh.
"Things only gotta be as difficult as ya make 'em."
-
"Sweet cheeks if I was being pitiful I would be putting on a real water works show for yah, and telling yah my life's sob story," She said with a bit of a chuckle because it was true. She didn't really care about his hand placement, she would take the little feel if she didn't have to try to hop all the way there. That seemed like it would take so much effort, and would probably end in several painful falls.
She ignored his little ending comment, knowing sometimes it didn't always hold true, but she didn't want to get thrown down the steps or something, "Thanks"
-
Ari blinked down at the top of her head. He hadn't said anything about her being pitiful, but alright!
"Ah, well thanks for sparin' me. They're like assholes, after all. Everyone's got one."
As for her 'thanks'? He shrugged in reply. "Eh, goes faster this way," he said. "Funny as it'd be watchin' ya navigate those stairs."
It wasn't far to the med bay; after all, it wasn't a huge ship. Ari knocked once on the door to give Bjarte a heads up, and then opened the door and stepped inside.
[ooc: I'm gonna suggest we "fade to black" here and pick up after she's patched up, just 'cause Bjarte's player is a little IRL busy right now. ;D]
-
(ooc: Ooops, my BAD, I mis read and thought he had said the top part. Okay that is fine)
Neo shivered, she wasn't really looking forward to this, but knew she couldn't just ignore this wound, it needed a doctor's treatment.
When they finally made it back to her cage, Neo was loopy to say the least. The doctor had really done her up, and gave her the GOOD stuff.
She found it rather hard not to poke the wound simply because she couldn't feel it, so it was almost like she was poking someone else, but she wasn't, she was poking herself. When the doctor had been removing the bullet Neo hadn't been able to look away, it was like a bad crash, you shouldn't stare but you can't not stare. If Ari was there she didn't even notice, with whatever medicine the doctor had given she was like a goldfish, about a five second memory, and a even shorter attention span.
-
[ooc: It's okay, it happens! <3 I just roll with it! xD]
Ari had hauled her drugged-out ass back down there, taken the cuffs off her, and put her back in her cell, and he was still there as she sat and poked at her wound. Yep. She was gone. But hey, he could empathize; he'd been drugged up plenty, not always for medical reasons.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you," he said, glancing over at her as he checks some of the inventory. "You're only gonna feel it later."
-
Neo turned to Ari as he began to speak, looking at him funny with her head tilted to the side. He sounded weird and she couldn't help but burst out laughing, to her, Ari sounded extremely high pitched. She fell back on the cot laughing so hard. Then abruptly she stopped, grabbing her long sleeve shirt and pulling it on, the floor was cold, the cot was cold, the pitiful piece of fabric that was meant to be a blanket was cold, and worst of all, she was cold.
She put her back against the bars as she sat on the cot, her eyes looking somewhere up above Ari's head, she seemed to be really intently staring at something. If you watched her though you could tell the drowsiness was kicking in. Each time she blinked her eyes would stay shut for a bit longer than the time before. It was also pretty clear she was fighting it.
-
Ari's eyebrows lifted, very slowly, and he stared at her for several moments before managing a quiet, "...Uh huh."
Yep. Someone was trippin' balls.
He turned and left the room for a few minutes, and returned later with a bottle of water. He slipped it through the bars--with the shit she'd be given and the blood she'd lost, she'd be thirsty when she came to--and then turned, ready to leave for the night. "Try not to hurt yourself," he said, and flipped off the lights.
-
Neo leaned forward as Ari walked in, squinting slightly, what she was seeing, the gods only knew but it was weird and she seemed a bit disturbed by it. She pulled her shirt over her knees and curled into a tight ball as she sat there in silence for a moment.
"Can I has a blanket?" She asked, making a weird face as she spoke, she sounded weird too but even though you could tell she heard something weird she gave Ari the biggest puppy dog, innocent eyes possible.
-
Hearing her voice, Ari flipped the light on again and peered over his shoulder at her. Ah, puppy eyes. Really? A wry smile twisted his lips and tilted his head as though to better hear her.
"Pardon?"
Not only was her voice funny, not only was she acting way too cutesy all of a sudden, but she already had a blanket in there.
And he couldn't quite decide, yet, if he liked the drugged version of her better.
-
Where the usual Neo would have gotten an attitude and made a comment about how Ari must be getting old and needs some hearing aids, doped up Neo didn't seem fazed by having to restate her question.
"I am cold, can I has another blanket?" She asked her voice was soft, and oddly enough, almost bubbly. She pulled the blanket she already had tightly around her form, but it wasn't doing much good at trying to keep her warm and toasty.
-
"Ya already got a blanket there," Ari said, nodding to the one wrapped about her. "Make the most of it. Made your bed, consequences, etcetera and all that."
-
Doped up Neo didn't seem too bothered by the answer, or at least not how nondoped up Neo would have been. She just sat there, shivering but not trying to scream or fight or argue, actually accepting her punishment.
"Okay," She said simply.
-
Huh. No argument, huh? Taking it like a champ? He could work with that. It was probably because she was high as a kite, but good behavior was to be rewarded.
Striding over to one of the nearby crates, he pulled off the blanket that covered it, then passed it through the bars to Neo. It wasn't anything fancy, and it was a little scratchy, but it was also thick.
"There," he said, then turned to leave.
-
Neo smiled softly at him as she took the blanket, her attitude completely different at the moment.
"Thank you," She said before pulling it over top the thinner blanket and curling up in a tight ball on the cot. She didn't say anything else, but finally stopped resisting the pull of sleep. It only took her a few moments before she was out cold.
She slowly opened her eyes, there was a bit of throbbing in her leg, but nothing like before. The cot and the blankets were moist from sweat, it seemed during the night she had started running a fever or something. She sat up slowly, her head throbbing and her mouth dry as cotton. She stretched, her bones popping and cracking before she saw the cup of water.
She all but lunged for it, taking it and sipping it without even checking what it was, it could have been rat poison and she wouldn't of cared, it was wet and that was all she cared about.
-
Ari was already down there, carrying a plate of pancakes.
"Ahh, you're up. Good. Sleep well, darlin'?" he asked, carrying the plate over but not yet handing it to her.
-
Neo squinted as she looked up, glaring a bit, it was clear at this point the drugs wore off. She crossed her arms and seemed to be considering his question, of course it was all in sarcasm.
"Hmm, well, I am locked in a cage, which I find oh so pleasant, sleeping on a cot, on the cold floor.... So like a baby,"She spoke, she didn't care if she had actually slept well. She knew it was all because of the drugs, and the next night, when she didn't have the drugs, she wouldn't sleep.
Neo saw the pancakes and she felt a little queasy, and was instantly uninterested in them.
"I don't want that food you got, I would much prefer a bucket of water, or something."
-
"Ya forgot the part where ya were shot," Ari cheerfully pointed out as he set the plate on the ground near the cell--near it, but just outside it.
"Anyway, you'll get water soon enough. But first, a recap: so, what have we learned over the past 24 hours?"
-
Neo, paused thinking, not giving the food much interest, she had never been one to eat much and even when she did eat it was never actual food, it was always supplemented bars.
"Well, I learned that I can't outrun a bullet, but I can take one with a bit of grace. That if I get injured I want to go to the medic on this ship, because he gives you the good shit," Neo paused, thinking a bit longer, "That I haven't lost my hacking skill... Hmm, that is about it. Oh yeah, I forget. You are a lying son of a bitch asshole.... Sometimes."
Neo leaned her head back against the cage, taking a deep breath, closing her eyes. Maybe she wasn't being fair with him, but of course, it was hard to be fair with someone when they had shot you and threatened to cut off your finger at some point.
"I think we would get along at lot better if you moved past the fact that you are the unlucky son of a bitch I decided to pick pocket, and I mean, I did get you your money back so it shouldn't be a big deal, and I will move on from the fact that you shot me," Neo said, not looking up at him.
-
Ari raised his eyebrows. "I lied?" he asked, smiling, and not yet touching the rest of what she'd said. "What was the lie, darlin'?"
-
If looks could kill once again, Ari would be dead. Neo glared up at Ari for a long moment in silence.
"Oh I suppose you don't remember that little agreement we had before I followed you to your ship and you shot me!" Neo spoke, her blood boiling inside her veins once more.
-
"Again I'll ask, what was the lie, darlin'? Repeat to me what our agreement was."
Ari decided to help her out a little. "I agreed to get ya on my ship. And I got ya on my ship. I didn't say anythin' about the 'how', and I sure as shit didn't promise not to shoot ya."
-
Neo frowned, he could be right, she couldn't remember exactly, her mind was still too hazy to recall that far back, still she felt betrayed either way. What she did know what at that point Ari didn't have anything she wanted. He had food but she didn't want that, and yes he could go get water, but she wasn't going to beg.
So Neo went silent, laying back down on the cot, curling up under the blankets, she could always sleep so more. Maybe sleep until she withered away from starvation and dehydration.
-
No sassy remarks, eh?
Maybe her precarious situation was finally starting to register.
He settled down on the ground near her cage. "Now, listen. About this whole lettin' bygones be bygones thing...like I told ya, if you're serious about being crew, I'm willin' to letcha work for it. We're a ship of criminals, darlin'. I get it. I've done the petty thievin' shit too. But I gotta trust my crew, and ya didn't exactly make a stellar first impression. For one, let's get somethin' real straight--I'm the captain. What I say goes. And I don't negotiate. We clear on that? Because if ya can't handle followin' orders, then ya sure ain't cut out for this ship."
-
"Well threatening to cut someones pinky off and shooten'm in the leg ain't a nice way nor the best way to get what ya want either. If I am suppose to be a part of the crew I need to be able to trust ya as much as you need to be able to trust me," Neo replied, her back to Ari.
She wanted to ignore him, to try to prove some point by making herself miserable. Honestly though, her leg hurt pretty bad, and she didn't want to be down in the cage. It was a hell of a lot colder on the floor and in the cage then it was up the stars on the main deck, and the cold only made the pain worse. Logic was starting to win or her rebellious attitude.
-
"Wouldn't have had to threaten if ya would've cooperated, darlin'. But I ain't here to argue about who said and did what. I asked ya a simple question. Ya gonna be able to function here? Or am I gonna have to keep ya chained up back here like a rabid dog?"
-
Neo sat up, putting her back against the bars as she looked at Ari, her arms crossed. She sat in silence for a few moments, thinking. She had never been a crew on a ship so she honestly didn't know. She ran her hands over her face, sighing softly.
"Well I guess that depends, are you gonna be an asshole?" She asked, the question half serious. If he was going to be a jerk she would do, it was her natural reaction.
-
Ari smiled, eyes unreadable. "That depends on you."
-
"How so? My actions depend on you," Neo said shortly. She figured she should look at her leg. She removed the covers and pulled up the leg of her pants. The wound was a bit inflamed, it didn't look good, but it didn't look that bad either. Still she would require more antibiotics or something she it wouldn't get infected.
-
Ari chuckled. "Guess we're at an impasse."
He spread his hands. "Alright, sugar. You behave, I behave. If you're willin' to put bein' shot behind ya, I'm willin' to put petty thievery behind me. Question is, ya still interested? Y'know, gettin' shot and shoved in a cell and all notwithstandin'."
-
Neo thought about it for a moment.
"What will be my duties if I say yes, and where will I sleep?" She asked. Those were two questions she had to know before she made up her mind as to whether or not she was interested.
-
"You'll be a hacker, of course," Ari said with a flippant wave. "Mainly, when it comes to attackin' other ships, it'll be your job to see if ya can hack their systems. I dunno how good ya are, beyond ya know how to swindle money, but this'll be a good way to find out--and hone your skills."
He stretched his arms over his head. "As for sleepin' arrangements, you'll have your own space. A room, with an actual bed. Or, y'know..." His look turned sly. "The offer to share my bed still stands. It's big enough for two." He paused, and his grin widened. "Actually, it can fit up to five, with some creative arrangements."
-
Neo didn't look up, her eyes were still down on the wound on her leg, talking about his bed did bring a hint of a smirk to her face though.
"What about pay?" She asked, choosing not to comment on where she would sleep, at least not yet. Of course she was leaning towards her own bed of course, nothing was more awkward than a captained who has had his masculine pride insulted and having to see him everyday afterwards.
"I'm sure you have that and maybe a few more in your bed, plus several strands of every STD know to man kind and beyond."
-
"Oh, you'll be paid, given a cut of whatever we bring in. Plus your room and board is taken care of, so you don't gotta worry about that." Ari shrugged. "How much ya get paid? Well, a lot of that depends on ya doin' your job well, eh?"
As for that last comment, he snorted. "Hey, as of boardin' this ship, I've got a clean bill of health. So if there's somethin' flyin' around this ship, it ain't mine, and herpes sure as hell doesn't sprout from space dust."
-
Neo busted out in laughter, she still didn't trust the idea that he didn't have herpes, or syphilis.
She leaned her head back, a twinge of pain running up her leg, her hand moving to her leg where she gave it a tight squeeze above the wound.
"Well," She spoke, the pain in her voice, "I can do my job just fine as long as I have something to do it on."
-
Ari snorted at her laughter and gave her a look. "Well, if ya don't believe me, you're free to check me out yourself," he said with a cheeky grin.
"As far as stuff to do your work on? We've got that. And if it ain't up to your standards, sugar, we can make a pit stop and pick up somethin' that is."
-
"I know there are somethings that you can't see with the naked eye, so, I'll pass on the exam," She spoke, shivering.
"Can you let me out of this damn cage and off this fucking cold floor. I mean, I will finish this conversation sitting on your bed if it gets me off this cold floor."
-
"Oh yeah?" Ari grinned. "Ya want in my bed after all, eh? Hah. I knew you'd come around."
With a shrug, he pulled out the key, unlocked the door, and swung it open. "One wrong move and it's back in the cage, darlin'."
-
"Trust me, you won't see my next mistake, I learn from my mistakes, and I don't want to be shot in the leg again," She said as she used the bars be help pull herself up to her none injured leg. She looked at Ari," can I get some help?"
-
"Ya want me to carry ya, princess?"
Without another word, and with little warning beyond that, he reached over and scooped her up into his arms like, well, like a princess. Now that she was out the cage, and now that it seemed they had an understanding, eh, may as well help her out a bit. With a wound like that, she'd be laid out for a while, and now that she was crew, more or less, he actually cared about her health.
He shifted to get a better grip and kicked the cell door shut. "Now, that bit about me not seein' your mistakes? Ya got me a little concerned. Don't worry about me seein' them or not. Just don't make 'em."
-
"I am only human, we all make mistakes doll face, asking me to be perfect is like asking me not to be human," Neo spoke as she wrapped her arms around Ari's neck lightly
"Its not like I'm going to slip you something in your alcohol or something," Neo joked lightly.
-
Ari snorted. "Now, see, slippin' me somethin' is what I'd call intentional malice. That ain't a mistake. Way ya mentioned that, makes me wonder if I shouldn't invest in some of those little coasters that change color when your drink's been fucked with."
Turning, he started up the stairs, back to the main level, careful of where he stepped since the stairway was narrow and his arms were kind of full.
-
"Now why would I poison the man helping me get around, true, he is the one who shot me, true. But, he is more useful at the time being than not. It would be like a person with no legs choosing to drag then selves on their stomachs instead of getting android legs, or at least a hover chair."
-
Ari paused, deliberately, halfway up the steps.
"See, now, that's what concerns me. Here I'm thinking roofies and your mind's on poison. Remind me to never drink your coffee."
With a shake of his head, he continued up the stairs to the top. "We got an empty room by the med bay. Ain't furnished, really. Got a mattress and shit, at least. That'll be your room for now. You'll just have to deal with the barrenness until we get to port." And then, looking down at the top of her head, he added, "Unless ya want in my bed, but there's a fee for that."
-
"If I can guess the fee can I get the first night free?" Neo asked with a laugh looking up at Ari and batting her lashes innocently.
"I bet the fee is knocking boots," Neo said after a moment with a laugh.
-
"Knockin' boots? Nah. Knockin' pelvic bones? Oh yeah."
Carrying her down the hall, Ari paused outside a door and nodded to it. "This here'll be your room," he said, and set her down on her feet carefully. "Unless, of course, ya wanna take that offer."
-
Neo stood on her uninjured leg, crossing her arms as she looked up at Ari. She was thinking of anyway she didn't have to stay in an all but empty room and end up getting to see the fish tank in his room without getting naked.
"I guessed it right though, so I shouldn't get the first night fee free, and hey, you know its nice to snuggle!" She spoke, trying to bargain.
-
Ari snorted and gave her a look, one eyebrow raised. "Do I look like the snuggly sort to ya?"
-
Neo smiled, poking him slightly on the chest, but only barely to not push herself off balance. "You sure do! You look like a nice warm snugly teddy bear," she spoke giggling.
-
Ari gasped at that and clasped his hands together. "Really? Dangit! Ya figured me out! Cut right through this tough-ass facade and straight to the innocent little boy underneath! Gosh. Maybe that's the real reason I don't want ya in my room. Can't have ya discovering the plushie pile--oops!"
He slapped a hand over his mouth. "Did I say that aloud?"
-
Neo put on her biggest most innocent smile she could muster.
"Please," She said sweetly, or at least as sweetly as she could manage.
"I did just get shot and sleep in a cage," She added hoping he would maybe take a bit of pity on her, though she doubted he would.
-
"Ya did?" Another shocked gasp, and then Ari's face went stoic. "Yeah, ya did. Do we need to review whatcha did to get there? Maybe an old school PowerPoint?"
Ari jabbed a thumb at her room. "Ya sleep here, darlin'. Or in the hall. Or at the table. Wherever. But ya ain't gettin' in the captain's quarters."
-
Neo crossed her arms, "I can't exactly walk, can you get me crutches hover chair, something or do I get to crawl around?" She asked, her sweet tone completely gone. She was clearly aggravated, and it took all the self control she had to not call Ari a dumb bastard, but she felt by the end of the day it would happen.
-
"Hover chair? Nope. Crutches? I'll have to see what Bjarte's got. If not? Yeah, crawlin' will just have to do!" Ari flashed her a sweet smile. "And that's why we don't do dumb things. So we don't get shot."
He gave her a little pat on the head and then turned to leave. "Hang tight, darlin'. I'll see what I can do."
-
Neo definitely wanted to strangle Ari, or slip some laxatives into his drink. One moment he seemed like he was going to be descent and the next moment he was being an ass hole. She just didn't understand it and she didn't like it at all.
-
Several minutes later, Ari returned with a pair of crutches in tow. He thrust them out at Neo.
"There ya go. Now treat 'em nicely, sugar. Bjarte won't be happy if ya fuck up his equipment."
-
Neo grabbed the crutches, before frowning.
"Why are you such an ass?" She asked simply before turning around to go find a tablet. She clearly wasn't expecting an answer and she was sure any answer she got from him would be more than infuriating.
-
"What?" Ari blinked. "Why am I an ass? I just went and got ya crutches! How's that being an ass?"
-
Neo turned, she clearly wasn't amused. She opened her mouth to start to say something but stopped. She didn't have the energy to argue with him, and though she probably would have slept with him if he would have shared his bed, it was too late for that then. She simply turned back around to explore, and hopefully find a tablet of her liking.
-
Ari sighed and folded his arms over his chest. "Ah. I see how it is. Somehow, I'm the bad guy and you're givin' me the silent treatment. Well, alright, then."
Turning to leave, he tossed her a look from over his shoulder. "Offer still stands, by the way, if ya ever change your mind."
-
Neo ignored him, not even hesitating as she continued to gimp away.
She found a tablet that she liked and a chair and another stool she could prop her leg up with. She then got to doing what she was good at. Of course, only half of the money she was skimming was going to the sassy, the other half was going into her own personal little account so she would have enough money to buy whatever she wanted when they went into port. Plus, if she had to live in a closet, and put up with Ari, she deserved the money she was keeping to herself.
-
With a laugh, Ari let her go, watching her as she walked away all gimpy-like and admiring her ass as she did.
Yeah. He certainly planned on tapping that.
He followed behind her at a distance, because being as new and...volatile as she was, she didn't quite have wandering around freely status. Oh, sure, he wasn't afraid of her doing any damage; what could she do? But he was a little curious about where she thought she was going, and with such certainty, too.
He found her in the common area, propped up in a chair with a tablet in hand. Sidling silently up behind her, he didn't say anything at first, only peered down at her tablet from over her shoulder.
Then, very slowly, he leaned down close to her ear and said, abruptly and loudly, "Whatcha doin'?"
-
Neo had heard him, Ari wasn't as silent as he thought he was. still, when he spoke, she threw a punch back like she was startled, praying it would give a good bop. At the same time the tablet went flying up in the air.
She turned to look over her shoulder with a frown.
"I'm doing what I do best, making the sass some money when you aren't pirating some ship. I have to entertain myself somehow," she spoke, crossing her arms.
-
WHAM! Suddenly, a fist to the face!
Ari yelped and jerked backwards, cupping his nose with his hand and then checking his palm for blood. Thankfully, she hadn't broken his nose, but it still hurt!
He at least got a little satisfaction out of seeing her jump.
"Fuck, woman! Ya tryin' to rearrange my face?" he grumbled, and peered over at her tablet again--only this time he kept his face out of punching range. "Wait. What? Already? Just like that?"
That was bloody fast.
-
"What do you mean?" She asked looking over at Ari.
"I am basically crippled, what else am I suppose to do? Back flips? Negative. Oh and, rearranging your face wouldn't hurt anything, if anything it would be an improvement," she said as she picked up the tablet and turned her back to Ari once more.
"And, as I said, I'm bored, this keeps me somewhat entertained."
-
"An improvement? Aw, honey. Ya can't improve perfection," Ari said with a shit-eating grin, still rubbing his nose. Thank gods she hadn't hit him higher up. Hurt like fuck, and not in a fun way, when people got him in the bridge piercing.
He looked around her to get a look at the screen. Hopefully that would be safe to do now that she knew he was there. "So, no one can trace this shit back to us, eh?"
-
"Nope, it would be like the money was never in the account at all, like magic," She spoke, her voice soft, concentrated as she focused her attention on the screen.
"And doll, your face isn't perfection as much as you assume, its not shit, but your not a model neither," She added with a hint of humor in her voice.
"You know, I really don't like people looking over my shoulder, hovering isn't very polite, I mean, I could alway stop and just play a game," She spoke looking up at him over her shoulder.
"I mean if its just the pleasure of my company your after there is a seat right here," She said motioning at a seat.
-
Ari stroked his jaw, and the bit of scruff that grew there. "I dunno 'bout not being a model. There's models for everything, y'know. I could be in a tattoo magazine...or a niche porno."
He would not add that there were perhaps a video or two floating around on the Network somewhere. What? The chick liked being on camera, and he sure as fuck wasn't going to say no. Besides, it helped when you didn't have any shame!
He took a step back from Neo when she said she didn't like hovering--not because he particularly cared, but because he didn't want her fucking up his accounts. Don't mess with the hacker when she has a computer and an open network. Not even he was foolish enough to chance that!
He pulled up a chair, turned it around, and straddled it. He folded his arms atop the back of it and rested his chin on his arms, and rubbed gingerly at his nose as he watched her. "There. That better, princess? Not hoverin' anymore."
-
"So its the pleasure of my company you are after, after all," Neo started with a satisfied smirk.
Neo leaned back, her fingers making a steady tap tap on the screen of the tablet. She wasn't paying much attention to Ari, she didn't really care why he was there or what he was doing.
-
"Yeah, 'cause it's just so damned pleasant," Ari said, and grinned. "That, and I gotta be sure ya don't fuck anything up."
-
"Why would I fuck something up when I am injured and can't really get away. That would be real stupid of me, wouldn't it. Plus, I already said I would be a member of your damn crew, so why would I fuck it up, I don't go back on my word, I am not you," Neo replied never looking up from her screen. A constant rhythm of taps created from her fingers and the tablet filled the empty silence between her words.
-
Ari only smiled and shrugged at that question, deciding not to mention that he'd basically forced her into the job and, you know...shot her. Not exactly the best foundation for a working relationship, which meant he didn't yet trust her--because hell, if he was her, he would totally start fucking shit up. She may not realize it, but as far as Ari was concerned, she was in the midst of a probation period--and probation basically lasted as long as he decided it lasted.
He pat her on the head. "Aw, you're right, sweet cheeks. I'm just trollin' ya. You're just so damned easy to rile."
-
"Do you really want to rile me Ari?" She asked looking at him crossing her arms.
"I am a hacker, with full access, who you shot," She pointed out raising an eyebrow, "Who you put in a room that isn't furnished, and you made sleep in a cage, even after you shot me.. Must I continue?" She spoke, not looking amused at all.
-
"Naw, I actually think ya summed that up pretty good!" Ari said, scratching the stubble on his chin. He gave her a light punch in the shoulder. "Keep up the good work, soldier! I'm gettin' coffee, ya want some?"
-
Neo rolled her eyes at Ari before reaching over and rubbing her arms lightly.
"You don't seem to be able to keep yours hands off of me," She mumbled lightly before sitting the tablet in her lap.
"Do you have anything stronger than coffee?"
-
Ari lifted an eyebrow. "Should ya really be drinkin' wile you're hackin', darlin'?" he asked, but then gave a light laugh and waved the notion away.
"Fuck yeah I do. What kinda pirate do ya think I am? Beer or vodka, sweetness?"
-
"Do you think you can handle me while I drink vodka? That is the better question," Neo spoke with a crooked grin.
"If you think I am bad now, you wouldn't be man enough to handle me drinking hard liquor," She added as she stretched lightly.
-
"Mmm, I don't know. I think I handled you pretty fine sober," Ari said with a smug smile. "Challenge accepted. Don't go far, darlin'."
And then he turned and headed for the kitchen, returning with two highball glasses filled with dark pink liquid over ice. He set one down on the table and pushed it into Neo's hand.
"Cranberry vodka, because we're classy motherfuckers. Cheers," he said, and took a swig of his own drink.
-
"You classy? My ass," Neo said as to went bottoms up with the glass, chugging the contents of the glass, quickly leaving only ice. She set the glass heavily on the table with a deep sigh. She could feel the heat in her belly, and could feel it quickly spreading through her body. The crooked grin returned to her face as she set silently before she looked up at Ari.
-
Ari had only gotten through a third of his drink by the time Neo finished off her first. He snorted. "Ya know, if ya wanted to do shots, I got stuff for that. This, though? This you're supposed to enjoy."
He nodded to her glass. "Want another?"
-
"Asking me if I want another is like asking you if you want a piece of ass, the answer is always yes Ari, always," Neo spoke, already feeling that much more feisty from the alcohol.
-
Ari laughed and turned back toward the kitchen. "Duly noted!"
When he returned again, this time he just brought the vodka and cranberry juice with him, plunking both onto the table and taking a seat. "Figure I may as well save myself subsequent trips," he said as he poured her another, noting her better mood.
-
Neo killed the next glass much liked she had done the one before. There was no doubt that getting drunk was the goal she had in mind. Life was so much easier when one lived in drunk and or high, she had learned that lesson very early on in her life.
"So Ari, tell me about yourself, how did you find yourself as a captain of a ship?"
-
Ari was still nursing his first glass, swirling the ice around. At her question, he tipped his head back and drank down the rest, then set his glass down and went about refilling both of theirs.
"Through a lot of hard work," he said as he topped off her glass. "I only got my own ship two years ago, but I'd been livin' as a pirate for a good, oh..."
He scratched at his stubble. "Thirteen years? Yeah, that's about right. Anyway, I worked my way through the system and once I'd proven myself and proven that I wanted it enough, I earned myself a grant to go out and get a ship, rustle up a crew." He took a sip of his cocktail. "Been a learnin' experience."
Tilting his head, he motioned at her. "What about you? How'd ya come about this hacker business, and runnin' from some dude?"
-
One could see Neo's mood crash by the expressions that crossed her face. She let out a deep sigh as she thought over what she would and wouldn't share.
"Lets just say I have to pay for my mothers sins," She stated before emptying her glass. She was already feeling the buzz and the slight spinning on the room. The alcohol was kicking in hard.
"What made you want to become a pirate? What is your sad horrible backstory?"
-
"Sad, horrible back story? What? Ya sayin' a kid can't just grow up and wanna be a pirate for reals? Didn't ya ever play pirates and space cowboys?"
But even as Ari said it, his expression had darkened just a bit. He took another swig, and this time he did drain his drink in one go.
He went in for a refill. "Sins of your mother, eh? Whatcha mean by that? Your mother fuck up and leave ya with the debt?"
-
"I am not nearly drunk enough to get into all of that," Neo said, quickly deflecting his attempt to get the subject back onto her.
"So are you saying you had the perfect childhood but you decided to be a pirating sex fiend?"
-
"Ahhh, pirating sex fiend..." Ari grinned widely and downed some more drink. He was starting to feel it now; he hadn't really eaten today, and though he was by no means a lightweight, all that booze on an empty stomach was having its effect.
He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table, swirling the ice in his drink. "Yeah, why not? Sounds pretty damned glamorous to me. Ya know, some people do that professionally? Porn stars. Pretty sure I've seen pirate porn. It's all inaccurate, of course."
-
Neo filled up her glass, much more vodka than cranberry juice.
"You say that, but I don't think that was what you aspired to be when you were young. Most little boys want to be the space cowboys, not the pirates. Just like I didn't aspire to be a hacker or a pickpocket, it was something I picked up for survival."
-
Ari's head was starting to buzz. Drinking all that close together meant it all decided to hit at roughly the same time. At Neo's question, he stared at her a moment, and then shrugged and looked away.
"My sister's the space cowboy," he said at last, and finished off his glass.
-
Neo looked at him for a moment frowning. Was that emotion she saw? Did the grand ass-hole of a man Ari actually have a heart, and emotions?
"Well why aren't you?" She asked as she refilled his glass.
-
"'Cause sometimes, life don't even lube up before it fucks ya over," Ari said, taking up the glass she'd refilled and chugging it down. He probably should stop. His alcohol level was probably sky high, and he just knew there was no way he was getting out of this without a massive hangover and a lot of vomiting.
But he was officially drunk, and officially past caring.
-
Neo let out a heart laugh, "You are tell me, hell, life didn't even wait until I was legal," She spoke, her laughter growing dark. She gulped her drink down, the more she drank the less she would feel and she needed that momentary comfort.
She looked up at Ari from under her thick blonde lashes, "So what is your dark past captain?"
-
Ari gave a bitter laugh. "Tchyeah. I was sixteen. Guess that's legal some parts!" He tipped back in his chair, balancing on the back legs--probably another bad decision in this state.
"So yeah. Was sixteen when the pirates came. Me and my friends? Snatched right from a fuckin' burger joint. Can ya believe that? They just wanted the kids. They shot the adults that were around, any that tried to help. Then they took us on their fuckin' ship and told us to kiss our lives goodbye."
He took another gulp, his words slurring a bit. "Never saw my buddies again. They all got dropped off on some planet, given to slavers to be sold off. Never did find out what happened to 'em. Probably never will. And me? Heh." Another long gulp.
"Our captain had a thing for white hair."
-
"Men do usually get drawn to oddities," Neo slurred as she motioned to her mismatched eyes. She had attracted the attention of many of her mothers customers from a very young age. Neo killed another drink, knowing that she shouldn't, she knew she was drunk off her ass. She doubted that she would even be able to make it back to her room unless she crawled.
Then she felt another ping in her gut, the craving for comfort, and not really caring if it was something healthy or not.
She leaned forward without thinking, pressing her lips against his.
-
There was a brief flash of surprise when Neo kissed him, for deep down he still remembered all her deflecting, but the surprise quickly faded. Ari was the last person to say no to this, and Neo wasn't the only one feeling off balance and a little extra emotional with the booze pumping through his veins and the bad memories clouding his drink-addled mind.
And Ari had learned from an early age that the best way to drown out emotional pain was physical pleasure.
Or, in his case, physical pain, too.
...Which he soon got his share of then.
For as he reached for her, a hand sliding up her neck and into her hair as he pulled her in for a deeper kiss, tasting the alcohol on her lips and tongue, he forgot that he was sort of tipping his chair--and the chair rocked from the movement, and the next thing he knew, the world was spinning for a different reason as he went toppling backwards onto the floor.
Sprawled on his back with his legs hanging over the chair, he blinked in surprise, and then burst out laughing. "Fuck," he said, gasping for air between laughter. "Well, I ain't goin' back up there, so you better get down here!"
-
Neo couldn't help herself as she laughed at Ari. For a moment the emotional pain muddled.
"How about we go to your bedroom, it would be so much more fun," Neo said as she raised an eyebrow.
-
Ari lifted both his arms and held his hands out to her. "Help me up, then!"
-
Neo reached down to him. She didn't trust him, and half expected him to pull her down onto the floor with him. She might have been drunk, but she didn't plan on having sex right in the middle of the public dining room.
-
Ari did seriously consider yanking Neo down on top of him, and the only thing that stopped him was the chair digging into his spine. He was all about being spontaneous and had no objections to taking her right there on the table, crew mates be damned, but at the same time...
Why use a hard table when there was a soft bed just down the hall?
Grasping Neo's hands, Ari hauled himself to his feet, and then he grinned, leaned down, and kissed her hard and full on the mouth. "Thanks, butterfly," he said against her lips.
Right before he scooped her up into his arms, bridal style.
It was, yet again, probably not a Good Idea with his balance unsteady, but at the same time, she was tiny and weighed nothing! Adjusting his grip on her, he started down the hall--but slowly.
-
Neo squilled lightly as Ari quickly scooped her into his arms, she hadn't expected that, she had half expected him to make her hobble. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, pressing her lips hard against his. She was sure of one thing, if she was in his bed she wouldn't have time to linger in the emotional pain that often haunted her.
-
It was by some sheer miracle that Ari made it to his bedroom without some epic accident, like dropping her, or hitting her bad leg against the wall. It took a few tries before he slid his door open, and then he brought them both inside, and closed the door behind them.
He got them to the bed and set her down onto it, careful of her leg (nothing would be more of a mood ruiner than that!), before he climbed in after her. He playfully straddled her, capturing her wrists and holding them just above her head, before he leaned down and kissed her again, tasting her mouth and hoping she liked pierced tongues, because he knew he did, and he planned on working its magic on her in other places, too.
-
Neo let Ari feel like he was in control, she could already tell that was what he liked, it wasn't a hard observation to make. She didn't mind it, though she was never one to relinquish all control to someone, ever.
Neo's tongue wasn't pierced, she never saw the point in giving her mothers customers more reason to seek after her, she didn't mind his though. If anything, it was interesting, it was easy to tell he had a lot of practice with it.
She was enjoying Ari's mouth against hers, his body, just the way he moved. He was so aggressive, his movements so demanding. Then she remembered him calling her a butterfly, and a need to show him that she still could sting crossed over her. She sucked his lip into her mouth gently before biting. Not extremely hard, but hard enough she knew it would hurt.
-
Neo bit him, and Ari moaned in response as a little thrill went through him. Maybe not such a butterfly after all; she had a stinger. His own kiss turned fiercer in response, harder, as he nipped at her lip before dragging his mouth down to her neck, lips pressed just beneath her ear and breath hot against her skin.
"Ya can do a lot more of that, darlin'," he told her as he nibbled at her throat. "Be as rough as ya want. I like it."
And then he bit her there, but not hard, as he shifted enough to transfer both her wrists to one hand to free up one to work with. She had too many clothes on, and he reached down to slide his hand under her shirt and up over her belly, caressing her ribs, and dragging her shirt up as he went. Her bra was just another obstacle to clear out fast, and he didn't bother with finding the clasps, instead just grabbing it in the middle and yanking it up and out of the way.
"Much better."
-
Neo smiled then laughed, as his lips left hers. He was like reading an open book. If he wanted pain, she could sure as hell give it to him. Then she felt his teeth on her neck,he didn't bite her hard though, it was just enough to make her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her throat followed by a soft moan as he changed his grip on her wrists. His touch was hot against her cool flesh. He definitely made quick work of getting her bra out of the way to expose her ample chest. She looked up at Ari, "like what you see?" She asked playfully.
-
Ari grinned down at her. "Nope," he said as he lowered his mouth to her skin, pressing kisses along the swell of her breast.
"Hate 'em," he said as he flicked his tongue over her nipple before taking it into his mouth, tongue swirling over the flesh as he teased the point with just the barest bit of teeth. He brought his free hand to her other breast, massaging it and rolling the nipple between his fingers as his mouth worked on the other until, finally, he pulled back a little, puffing a warm breath on her wet skin, and brought his mouth to the other.
"It's so, so terrible," he breathed against her skin between teasing licks and nibbles.
-
Neo's back arched deeply, she supposed there was a benefit to sleeping with such a man whore, he had lots of practice. She pulled a wrist free from his grip and ran her fingers through his hair gently before giving his hair a much rougher tug.
She let out soft moans as Ari teased her sensitive flesh, her hand slipping from his hair down to start to pull his shirt off.
-
Ari growled his enjoyment when Neo yanked at his hair, and when she tugged at his shirt, he took the hint. He drew back from her slowly, his mouth still on her breast, and tugged lightly on her nipple before releasing it with a soft pop. Then he grabbed at his shirt, pulled it over his head, and tossed it aside and onto the floor before he covered Neo with his body again. He planted a few more soft, teasing kisses to her breasts as he released her hands completely, so he could trail one of his own strong, callused hands down over her firm belly and lower, until he hit her pants.
"You're wearin' too many clothes, darlin'," he said against her ear, right before he began to nibble on it.
With a few deft, practiced movements, he got her pants unbuttoned and the zipper yanked down, and he wasted no time in sliding his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties and down between her legs. "Mm...someone's excited," he whispered huskily as he slicked his fingers along her for a moment, teasing her, before finally settling on her clit and beginning to stroke her.
-
Neo felt shivers run up her back as Ari's rough hands running over her smooth skin. She let her eyes wander over his body, taking the sight of him in, and was pleased with what she saw. He was definitely handsome, though she would never admit she thought so to him.
She ran her nails roughly down his chest, though not hard enough to draw blood as he busied himself with her pants.
"I am not the only one," Neo giggled as she felt the growing bulge beneath pants, which she started working at, but found herself rather distracted by Ari.
She bit her lip hard to keep herself quiet, she refused to feed Ari's ego so soon.