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sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #17  
Marco covered his eye, gasping. The possibilities were endless, and his eye was sure to show him every. Single. One. What was more troublesome was that that man and his lizard thing were fading from the possibilities as new ones with not quite new characters. The twins were making their entrance with...was that Tennan? There were so many Tennans and each of them were appearing in conjunction with the twins he'd met earlier, back when he couldn't see a future with the twins realizing he was a wanted man. Now he was being sought. He couldn't stay here; he had to run!

Run he did, starting from his seat and straight for the exit and straight for the--

Twins. He'd run into them, both working as a block in his path. He was so busy focusing on the possibilities that once again he'd neglected to look at the present. And here they were, looking down at him. He shrank back, muttering something resembling an apology hoping to duck by them, but they noticed. Instead, he looked slightly to the left of the left-most brother and saw her...Tennan. That gorgeous performer, dancing in the shows. She was a coworker, but not one he'd ever had the gall to talk to.

“Well, well, well! Roek! What 'ave we 'ere?” Damon asked, not bothering to look at the line's intended, focusing in instead on the eye-patched redhead.

“Oi! Why ain't ye on the stage?” Roek asked, as usual rolling with whatever it was his brother was going off of, relying on the unspoken cues of ones who had gone through this sort of thing before.

Marco put up his hands defensively all while cringing back, “Thought I'd spectate this year is all...”

“Ye sure it's not 'cause yer wanted? For a looot of gold, mind you?” Damon persisted, grabbing hold of Marco's arm, not stopping in his moving forward. Roek latched onto the other, Marco now being forced to walk backwards with them, eventually veering down and out of the exit.

“Well, that was easier than ah thought it'd be,” Roek said, laughing.

“Sure enough was,” Damon said, injecting Marco with some sort of drug. Roek's face was the last he saw as he faded to darkness.

=-=-=

Qi, when poking her head out, saw another thing. A smaller ship, and a girl trying some fuel. She didn't look like a Yingya! She could...she could maybe get her out of here! Looking around cautiously, she saw no immediate signs of any of them so she went for it, running out with her hands up in a show that she had no weapons, “Please... can you get me out of here, I'm begging you, before they arrive to finish me off... Please...”
Old Posted 01-08-2018, 08:39 PM Reply With Quote  
Default   #18   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
All Tennan could do was stand back in awe as the serendipitous moment took place. Her arms were crossed against her chest as she watched the Hot Shot champion go down with ease. She glanced at each Orovoro and smiled. "Well then, that was easy." She grinned and took to her knees so she could help carry out Marco. There was enough people around that word began to travel among the passerbys. Is that Marco Devana? Floated in the air as they made their exit.

Ino finished the round, but he botched his last shot so that Valya would win by a single point. She was a good shot, he had to admit. But he definitely could have gotten a full sweep. He walked back to the dressing rooms as Valya was rewarded and praised as the new Hot Shot champion. The sounds of cheers quieted as Ino found himself back in the dressing room. He looked at himself in the mirror. An emptiness washed over him.

He looked down, and sure enough, Quash wasn't in his cage. The door was cracked open and swung after he touched it. Ino let out a long groan, stood, and grabbed his hat from the counter. "I need to start trusting my gut more." He muttered in a scratchy voice as he pulled out a cigarette.

---

Ilani was bouncing up and down in her own dreamworld, unfortunately for the local alien, Ilani also had headphones in. She could hear the sounds of Yingya, but it would take a little more for her to hear the voice of Qian. She leaned against her ship, watching the fuel pour into the engine. She lit up a cigarette, not concerned at all, and took a long drag. "I-I-I am not your space princess~" She sang quietly, squeezing her eyes shut, oblivious to Qian's cries for help.

It wasn't until she turned, coiled up the tube and hopped onto the front of her cruiser that she noticed the figure waving in the distance. Instead of greeting her, she flipped around and into the pilot's seat, making sure she could power the ship up before leaving this wrecked planet. It was about 75% full, which was more than she was expecting, so she smiled, cigarette dangling from her lips. She tugged her ear buds from her ears and leaned out of the still open top of her ship. "Might wanna move, chicken!" She yelled out, laughing at the audacity of this lady.
Old Posted 01-08-2018, 09:10 PM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #19  
The crowd around Tennan, the twins, and an unconscious Marco erupted in cheers as the new hotshot champion was announced and the old one was carted out. “It sure was,” Damon muttered, grunted as he put one of Marco's arms over his shoulder, his brother taking the other one. Carrying Marco longways would have been more conspicuous, so the now captive wanted fugitive was dragged out of his home at the arena, his feet dragging behind him.

“Ship's this way,” Roek said, tossing his head in a direction. They led the way at a slower pace than per usual, beating most of the crowd out, and those that did witness what was going on could only accept what was happening. They knew the twins, and they knew better than to fuck with them. They'd already claimed the wanted man, and there were none that could claim that reward from them.

It was a slow process, but with the streets as empty as they were, arrived with relative ease. Once aboard, Damon again tossed his head, but this time leading to the ship's interior. Sure enough, there was a cluster of cells that look like they got their fair use, but were well-kempt nonetheless. They laid him out on one of the cots and locked him in there. “Well, now that that's taken care of, guess we can sit back with pint or two, ye?” Damon asked, grinning.

“Yep. An' then we'll introduce ye to the cap. Can't guar'ntee yer life, 'cause if 'e doesn't like ye, 'e'll kill ye, but what can we say? It's what yer wantin'a sign up for,” Roek chimed in with a shrug, “But in the meantime, ah'll grab us all a drink while we wait for 'im t' come back.”

~~~~

“No! No, listen, please! Qian was begging now, her voice cracking on the word “please.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks as her pleas fell on deaf ears. She'd been careful with her Common, enunciating each word with the utmost precision, even working to keep her accent down.

She continued to run, however, waving her arms. When the woman climbed back into her cockpit and revved the engines, she knew there was no hope. She dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands. There really was nothing for her now, except to wait for her inevitable death.

She just hoped they would make it quick.
Old Posted 01-09-2018, 04:05 AM Reply With Quote  
Default   #20   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
Once Tennan was inside the ship, she could sense every wall, every crack, every potential exit. This made it easier in case she needed to make an emergency escape. By sending out intense vibrations from her metal plated eye, she had every inch mapped and memorized. Much like how she had the Gunslinger. The vibrations might sound like a light hum to a normal human, but it usually went unrecognized and passed after a couple of minutes.

She was surprised by how well maintained everything was. It was such an old ship, she imagined it to be quite beaten up by now. Captain Zet must be as good as the rumors suggest. "Yes! I need some booze in me right about now." She grinned genuinely, actually happy to sit down and drink with a couple of boys. Something that came very rarely to her. "Well, Captain Zet can try and kill me. But- I'm pretty quick." She chuckled, just trying to banter with the lot. "And if he doesn't like me, then I suppose its worth dying at the hands of my hero." She followed them towards the bar and kitchen, her sensors picking up some movement. She had to wonder if Zet was back there. She was getting anxious for the kill. The thought of strangling a broad shouldered man such as him was such a turn on!

---

Ilani rolled her eyes. The girl was freakin' crying. She sighed, and turned the ship onto rest. She stood up, arms crossed. "Get off your knees and get in here!" She shook her head, plopping back down into her seat. "Had to fuckin' cry, didn't she?" She muttered under her breath, resting her boots on the dashboard as she waited for the damsel in distress to climb up the saucer.
Old Posted 01-11-2018, 02:02 AM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #21  
“Excellent!” Damon said clapping her on the back, “Always nice t'ave a lass that can put a drink away onboard!” The twin looked as he always did, and in all honesty, both of them did. They'd seen her predatory look, to be sure, but if they could coerce another into joining permanently, well, that was better for everybody now, isn't it? He chattered the entire time he led the way into the kitchen. Cook was still out and about in the town, so the booze was wide open for the taking. They'd been on rations during the entirety of the last voyage simply because of the amount that the twins seemed to go through alone.

Roek grabbed a few mugs, promptly filled them and plopped them down in front of Tennan and his brother, “Drink up, mates! T'the Cry!” He raised his mug high, his brother clinking his own mug against it echoing his sentiments.

“T'the Cry!”

“Well, well, well, what 'ave we 'ere?” a feminine voice purred from the doorway, the twins spinning around on their heels to face it.

“A'vi...” Roek whispered.

“A'vi...” Damon whispered.

“A' fuckin' vi!” A'vi exclaimed, flinging her arms open wide, “Now that we all know who the fuck I am, tell me, 'oo the fuck es this? She doesn't look like no Marco Devana!”

Damon stepped forward, as expected, putting his hands up defensively, “We've got 'im too, don't ye worry! 'E's asleep in our room! Surprisingly easy to catch, might I add...” The captain's eyes narrowed in on him, “Let's start over, shall we? A'vi, this is Tennan, knife extraordinaire, and potential recruit t'the Cry! Tennan, this is A'vi, the cap'n's daughter... She's ah...pretty hot shit 'round these parts, ye do what she says.”

A'vi's eyes stayed honed in on the brown haired one, “Knives, eh? Huh. Well, we'll see what Papa 'as to say about 'er, aye?” Sharp hawk-like eyes shifted from Damon to Tennan and back to the mouthpiece of the twins, “Where's Devana? Ye said ye 'ad 'im too?”

“Aye! Ye wanna see 'im?” Roek chimed in, A'vi's eyes aimed at him for a moment.

“Aye--” A'vi started.

“And the ayes have it!” Damon said, ushering her out the door and in the direction of their captive. Maybe seeing him would ease her anger at them bringing along a little extra pet. It meant more work for her, but she decided she'd have fun with it too. This marked the first of many new potential recruits that the captain actually seemed remotely interested in messing with herself. Usually, she just left that up to the twins, them being her own personal detectors to weakness. Their judgment was rarely wrong despite the fact that she hated their methods of coming to it. The fact that they didn't spill the beans right away as to her identity lifted some major red flags.

Granted, it wasn't exactly a lie. She was the captain's daughter. Just, things were a bit different now.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Qi's face immediately erupted into a wide smile as she clambered to her feet, half running half stumbling onto the ship. Her hopes had been answered! Gods, she couldn't have been happier!

“Thank you! Oh thank you! I'll...I'll work to pay you back, alright? But we don't have much time. The Yingya are coming...”
Old Posted 01-14-2018, 03:36 AM Reply With Quote  
Default   #22   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
The clink of glasses was a pact in and of itself. "The Cr-" Tennan was ready to down the entire mug, but that exact moment was frozen by a female voice. Through the amber lens of her filled mug, she could make out her figure. A'vi was it? She slowly lowered her mug to scan over the female's presence. She smelled nice, and the magnetic energy radiating from her discerned her power. Tennan grinned, the two boys obviously just pets to the outstanding female before them.

All of the words exchanged between the twins and the female in charge, turned into an inaudible goop. So Tennan tilted the mug up and hastily finished her drink, with a loud sigh and burp. "Nice to meet you, Miss A'vi." She extended a hand for it to be ignored. Which was fine by her, she wasn't especially fond of formalities. "If you'd like, I can sample you some of my skills. Perhaps after we show you the bounty." Tennan bobbed her head between the boys, ready to direct the captain's daughter to Marco. She stood up from her stool, and still she had the strangest feeling that something was in the room. She ticked away that feeling, but remained on high guard as they made their way to Marco's containment cell.

---

Ilani rolled her eyes again, locking down the ship the instant that this wannabe geisha found her way inside. The lid of her cruiser might've hit the top of her head if she was standing for much longer. Ilani always had to duck when moving between her pilot's seat and the hull. She ignored the woman's frantic pleas and promises, instead focused on firing up the engine and rocketing their way out. "Buckle up." Was all she said, a stray eye locking in on the only other seat in the ship. Before they could count down to ten, the ship was careening into the atmosphere.

The ground was littered with Yingya troops, she now found. One of which was Shenxin. He watched the tiny yellow spacecraft launch, and made sure to signal his base. "Yellow cruiser, in eviction site nine-nine-four. Just fled. Inquire registration." From there, the mothership would take care of this suspicious little cruiser. Where there was Yingya, there was no escaping, no hope for others.

Ilani's face was peeling back as she rode the intense friction of exiting the planet's atmosphere. Sparks and flame rolled off of the yellow, spinning body. When they finally ripped through the eggshell of Qi's home planet, everything descended into silence. Ilani liked it quiet. But it was quickly interrupted by a screech on her intercom. A muffled voice bleated out questions. "Requesting registration, you are in Yingya territory. Respond, or be annihilated." Ilani shrugged and slammed a button to quiet the intercom. Yingya didn't scare her.

She whipped quickly into hyperspeed and flew through space like it was her personal playground, dodging asteroids as her past time and laughing giddily. "So what's your name kiddo?" She said just before whipping the saucer around an incoming blast from the Yingya mother ship.
Old Posted 01-16-2018, 12:40 AM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #23  
Before the twins managed to turn A'vi around to lead her out the door, she shot each of them a glance that left each of them bristling and cringing. They were going to get a stern talking to later, and their booze rations might even be reduced which would be the exact opposite of good for the boys. “Ah'll get the chance t'see some o' yer skills later. After yer brandin'. Ye'll get yer chance once yer marked as one of us, to us, an' t' everyone else. Et'll make ye as wanted as anyone who gets t' keep their lives after steppin' foot on the Cry.”

The twins froze and A'vi kept walking, knowing right where it was that they were keeping Marco thereby needing no guidance, each of the boys turning their heads slowly to Tennan. They'd happily forgotten the part of the deal where she'd be needing a brand to even set sail with them. Marco would be needing much the same, but he'd seen absolutely nothing so if he refused they could just toss him overboard, should they choose to let him live. The captain went in first, unlocking the cell door with her Master's key and pursed her lips looking at the sleeping form of the man laid out in the cot. “This es Marco Devana? 'E doesn't look like much, does 'e?” she muttered shaking her head.

“Ah, but Miss A'vi, 'ave ye ever seen the lad shoot? 'e can shoot jes' about anythin', an' can ye imagine what 'e'd be able t'do with explosives an' the like?!” Damon asked stepping in front of Marco and putting his hands out defensively. Roek immediately joined his brother's side.

“E'd still be the runnin' champ if 'e wasn't wanted t'the 'ells an' back on Ariacan!”

“What's 'e wanted for?” A'vi asked simply, looking to the boys for explanation, already peeved enough that they'd brought him, let alone another on board. It wasn't like them to be making friends so easily, however, so she was forced to believe that they were up to something as per usual. And, as per usual, the captain was ready to let them get away with it.

“Wh-where am I?” came a groggy voice, drawing the eyes of all in the room. Marco Devana was waking up.

His eye found A'vi first, his heart beating faster. Was that...No, it couldn't be. A'vi Rayt was dead...Why would he be dreaming of her now? He'd heard about her in passing, seen the wanted posters like anyone else, but those posters had long been removed under the supposition of her death. It was rumoured everywhere. Survivors from attacks led by the Cry were few enough and far between, but none of them ever saw the infamous captain's daughter. Supposedly, it was her death that led to the Cry's sudden burst of aggression. No one got past the Cry unless the Captain wanted them that way by means of spreading the warning. “You can't be her, can you? Not really...”

“Ah suggest ye keep yer mouth shut, boy. We're aboard the 'Angman's Cry, an' yer wanted t'be part o' the crew by recommendations from some o' the crew. So what say you?” A'vi said, getting in his face.

Marco blinked, his right eye, as per usual, not being of any assistance. This was definitely her. He could see the scar on her cheek, just like the posters. He could see the possibilities. None of them good. Absolutely none of them. “D-do I have a choice?”

“Well,” Damon said chiming in, a smarmy grin on his face, “We could turn ye in?”

Marco groaned, “I'll join...”

The twins gave each other a high-five.

=-=-=-=-=-=

“Q-Qian...Bao,” the small girl said in response. Her body was still shaking as a trembling hand worked to operate the buckle necessary to “buckle up.” Squeaking, she drew her knees up to her chest, interlacing her fingers around her legs. “Thank you for saving me,” she managed before the announcement that forced the girl to cover her ears.

“I...I should h-hide b-before they catch you...”
Old Posted 01-16-2018, 01:35 AM Reply With Quote  
Default   #24   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
The little bit of hair that existed on Tennan’s body raised at the word brand. She wasn’t necessarily a masochist, but pain did elevate her senses to a place near ecstasy. ”Fine then.” A silly little brand wasn’t going to stop her. And if she was able to leave the ship with Marco, hell maybe even Zet’s body, she’d just burn it off or cut it off. She had nothing but herself to look after, no next of kin to worry about, so if someone wanted to try and snatch her, she’d have more reasons to quench her blood lust.

As they made their way back to the cells, Tennan felt the strangest tinge of familiarity once Marco spoke. She knew that she’d exchanged glances with him before. She’d even seen him shoot, mainly because she was scoping out his weaknesses. ”He’s wanted for being too good.” She grinned, standing behind the group of three pirates. ”He broke the jackpot. Its supposed to be something that is rarely won. A wipeout in five rounds. He’s done it – what is it – four times now, Marco?” The grin never left her face. ”They think he’s been cheating somehow.” But she knew the truth. Even though she had no eyes, she could tell that he had excellent sharpshooter vision. His eyes stared like hawks that would swoop in and out of her aura. He was no normal human.

She crossed her arms, allowing the crew to divvy their requests to Marco.

---

Quash woke from a short food induced nap and rolled over on his plump belly. The bucket once full of mussels tipped over and tinged against the wooden floorboards. He scampered off, going deeper into the kitchen towards the oven. It seemed nice and toasty, perfect for another nap. It was hard to catch some zzs when people were chattering nearby.

Ino followed Quash’s trail anxiously towards the docks. He looked towards the Hangman’s Cry. An intimidating mass of metal and sails. He couldn’t be there… Could he? ”Damn that lizard…”

---

Ilani giggled madly, twisting and turning her body as she shifted the ship through space. ”They won’t catch me, silly.” She brightened, pushing a button and they boosted once more – ricocheting even further into space until the mothership was no longer visible. Her heart was racing with excitement. Once they came to halt, no Yingya in sight or distance, she jumped up and cheered, her head bonking the glass roof. She rubbed her head with a soft ”Ow.” She sat back down and extended a happy hand now. ”Nice to meet ‘cha. It was – Chin Bow?” She cocked her head to gauge her reactions. She was never good with extraplanetary names.
Old Posted 01-18-2018, 04:35 PM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #25  
The twins, ever conscious of the non-expressive countenance of their new find both grinned at her, Damon waggling his eyebrows at her, and tugging at the collar of his shirt revealing his left shoulder. Darkened black skin in the shape of noose squat on his shoulders with the silhouettes of two presumed to be ravens circling within the loop, one larger and one smaller. “See, the thing is, ye can't burn it off,” the brunette continued, attempting to get a rise out of her, “Well, ye can, but it'd leave a naaasty scar that says that ye were a pirate. See, all pirates get a brand there if they get caught an' escape 'fore execution. A scar is enough t'tar a perfect, squeaky clean record.”

“Ye'll be bound t'the Cry fer life!” Roek chided.

“I ain't cheatin', I ain't! Yeh, it's true that I won 'em all, but I won 'em fair and square!” Marco said sitting up suddenly. That's what this was about? Cheating? The thought had never occurred to him. How the hell does one go about cheating in a shooting contest anyway? Perhaps they were sick of paying out the prize? But if that was the case, why even hold the competition?

The captain stood up, looking down at her prize with folded arms, “Well, ah fer one am fine with seein' it first 'and when we find our next target. We'll brand ye both when we're airborne. Jes 'ave t'wait for the cap an' crew t'get back. They'll be back any minute now.”

“Terrified” could have been a word to describe Marco at that moment, his eye that wasn't covered going from one member of the small party to the next in rapid movements. He wanted to get out, to find somewhere else to live on his winnings. There was certainly enough that the man could have gone into an early retirement, and he'd considered it once he found out he was wanted. Now, however, he found himself aboard the most known pirate ship in the galaxy—the most vicious pirate ship in the galaxy. One wouldn't think it looking at the grinning faces of the twins, or the glint in A'vi's eye. They weren't anything like brutal pirates should be. The boys were little more than extremely dangerous troublemakers—and more wanted than many in the galaxy. But seeing them in person, one would never expect it. The gunslinger wanted to protest. He didn't want a brand to further cement his wanted state. He didn't want to be a pirate; he sure as hell didn't want to be here around all of these people either.

“Boys,” A'vi uttered, the Orovoros then snapping to attention, “Take 'im t'the kitchens and get this lad some ale. 'E needs t'lighten up.” The boys in question both beamed, Roek giving a small fist pump of joy, and the captain straightened and looked from Tennan to Marco, “'E needs t' learn a little somethin' from ye, lass. 'E needs t'see that we're all one big family, so as another new member o' the crew, watch 'im for me, will ye? Make sure the twins dun kill 'im.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Qian looked down fiddling with her hands, a ton of bricks lifting off of her chest with the girl's confidence. She'd done this type of travel before, by the looks of it. Of all of the things that she could have said to her rescuer, the most prominent was the simple word “How?” How could she have such confidence when fleeing from the species that had literally wiped her planet out? Before the Great Catastrophe, the name that Qi had just then decided to give to the destruction of her home and race, she had never flown. She never expected the feeling of her stomach lifting into her throat as they left the gravitational pull of the husk of Quzhujian.

Her hands pressed into the seat, her body vibrating as she tried and tried to will herself not to look out of the less than immaculate window back at her home, breaking, and eventually doing just that, her eyes drifting to the blackened sphere. Quzhujian had once been a place of lush greenery, dense forests and jungles, a wide array of wildlife. Now it was the black, gray, and white of ash, some of the plumes of smoke large enough to even be seen at this distance. She let out a choked sob, a tear streaming down her cheek as she forced her eyes away. It was only then that she realized she was being spoken to and lifted her eyes toward her savior. Of course the name was wrong. She wouldn't expect many to be familiar with the language and customs of her planet, so it made sense. And now? There was much too large of a chance that now, she would be the only one in the universe to know her own tongue.

“Qi is fine,” she rasped, bowing her head. “What's your name?”
Old Posted 01-19-2018, 05:36 PM Reply With Quote  
Default   #26   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
Tennan was great at masking her raging fire within. Whether it was because of her lack of external eyes, or the fact that she always had a cold smile on her lips, no matter the occasion, she was hard to read. Right now, she could hear the humming and buzzing of her learned hatred of men hissing at her ears. Though the boys were young, they reminded her of the reckless youth she'd known at home. But, it was Marco that brought back the screeching metal of tinnitus. She held her cold smile, arms still crossed as she looked beyond the boys and their taunts. "Well, I'd say the mark turned out quite lovely." She let out a soft and brief chuckle. Though she couldn't see the mark clearly,
it was the images that the boys rendered in their own consciousness that mapped it into her software. "And my record is far from clean." She smiled slightly broader, just enough to allow a small amount of teeth to show.

As A'vi mentioned ale, Tennan's arms unhatched. She nodded to her request, keeping her focus on Marco. "Yes'm. We'll make sure he loosens up tonight." Her smile was now out of sinister happiness. Tennan wanted to know how well this sharpshooter could hold his liquor. "Do you kids know any drinking games, or am I going to have to make a funnel?" She hovered closer towards the group, excited to get this party on the road.


---

Shenxin was tired of the belittlement, the lecture. He knew all too well that he was a mistake. After all, Yingya did not have emotion or compassion for their conquest victims. They did not have those emotions in general. If a creature was to be slain, it was purely because they were not fit enough to survive. After minutes of being spat at and shoved into the cold metal of the Quzhujian, he displaced himself. Somewhere far away from this moment.

"You will find the ship that escaped us." Master Huan kept his foot firmly placed on Shenxin's head. He accepted this treatment because he knew it was temporary. "This is your mistake. You clean up after yourself, you dung beetle." And his metal clawed foot released from Shenxin's face. He kept his head down until the sound of Master Huan's footsteps dissipated. Shenxin snapped his jaw back into place and made his way to the pods, wiping this memory from his mind. He had a mission now. A chance to prove himself.

---

"Ilani. Mostly." She kicked her legs back onto the dashboard. "You like gambling? Or partying? It might help cheer y'up a bit." She giggled, letting her crossed feet swing back and forth with the gentle beat of streaming music. "Did you have that stuff on Guangda?" Her eyebrows furrowed, seriously concerned about the level of sheltered living her new passenger might have experienced. Ilani was a party girl who couldn't bare to be restrained by anyone's shortcomings. Either this Qi girl was going to get fucked up beyond repair, or... She was going to get fucked up beyond repair. This could be an incredibly good experience for her, or a not so good one, let's just put it that way. Ilani leaned forward and popped in the coordinates for Ariacan, the gambling planet. Her little yellow ship zipped through the ripples of time and space, giving them just a few hours to reach its destination.
Old Posted 01-28-2018, 03:11 AM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #27  
The twins, however unironically or ironically, saluted to the captain as she essentially gave them the order to break their rations and get shit-faced. Foreshadowing to their future conditions, the twins each wore shit-eating grins as they watched A'vi make her exit. They each recognized it as the cue that Captain Zet Rayt would be making his appearance rather soon, and he'd stay until the traditional branding of new recruits was finished—at that time revealing himself as none other than his own daughter. Quite strange when dwelled on, but A'vi couldn't keep the schtick up forever in front of her own crew, so when she knew that new recruits literally couldn't betray them without at least giving themselves up is when she came clean.

Besides, a trustworthy crew deserved a trustworthy captain, and that she certainly was.

She, as expected left to make her change leaving the twins to distract the newcomers with a good old-fashioned Hangman's Cry welcome—with ale and merrymaking. They chatted the newbies up, leading them back to the kitchens, the blonde one even going so far as to place his hand on the lower back of the eyepatched quivering creature, while the brown haired one let Tennan move at her own pace, both at once recognizing Tennan as a kindred spirit and knowing she'd join on her own terms, willingly and perhaps even with similar intentions.

The boys had already downed their first drink when A'vi was around, and Damon almost as soon as he was in the kitchen had four mugs by the handle and he began pouring their drinks, “Ye ready t'get drunk in the name o' The Cry? Jes wait an' see, et's th'best decision ye ever made.”

Marco gulped. He couldn't decide if Roek's hand on the small of the back was comforting or terrifying, but his body had evidently reacting to the latter as it was now quivering, a trembling hand latching onto the handle of the mug that Damon now shoved into his bubble. “I...I reckon, reckon so,” he stammered, moving his other hand in to shake the mug which after being in his hand also began to shake. He turned his head to the other newcomer, “Were you drug into this too, or are you here freely?”

“Lookit 'er,” Damon said, his newly freed hand clapping hard on Marco's back, “She's a natural! An' she certn'ly ain't no pansy. 'Course she's 'ere willingly. Dun worry though, we'll make ye a bit less of a bitch yet. Bottom's up! T'the Cry!” This was only one of many times he'd drink to the Cry probably even today, as it was as good of an excuse as any to drink and the twin raised his mug, his brother echoing his sentiments with his own “T'the Cry!” Marco raised his glass, but made little effort to actually make contact with the others, so the twins brought theirs further forward, glad that Tennan was indeed willing to party as hard as they were.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“Gambling?...Partying?” Qi murmured with a shake of her head, “That happened in the big cities, I think. In the small towns, like the one I lived in before it was destroyed was mostly farming...some herders, too.” She bowed her head knowing both the shepherds and their flocks were all but gone now, the lush green hill sides just outside of the jungle now reduced to little more than black ash, the jungles mere skeletons of what they once were.

Her fingers dug into the armrests as the ship picked up speed, and her eyes widened as she realized she was now seeing space, from space, for the first time in her life. “It's beautiful, she whispered, guilty that neither her parents nor her siblings would ever get the chance to witness this majesty.
They were gone now. They'd never see anything again.
Old Posted 01-29-2018, 03:05 AM Reply With Quote  
Default   #28   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
Tennan clinked her glass against the three others, tenderly against Marco’s, as he was timider with his exchange. ”To the Cry!” As soon as gratitude was given, she let the mug tip against her lips and the sweet brewed nectar streamed down her throat. She was pleasantly surprised with its strength, when the glass was about half drunk, she slammed it down on the wooden bar and sighed. She shook her head with the sting of her drink. Without much time to recover, she finished up the rest of her drink. Luckily, her tolerance for alcohol was incredibly high.

”That’s a great brew!” She licked her lips, looking over at Marco who was struggling with his drink. So as he awkwardly lifted his glass, she helped him out by tipping the glass faster against his mouth. She could tell he was choking against the flow, which made her giggle a little bit. Oh, she couldn’t wait to exploit his boundaries.

---

Ilan smiled as his passenger absorbed the beauty of space. ”Yeah. You should see the Faurian empire from space. They terraformed thirteen planets… Green, lush, and untouched by the Yingya.” He leaned back, letting his little yellow cruiser find its destination. ”Too bad ‘bout yours. Can’t say I haven’t seen it before.” He shrugged ambivalently and shortly after, a lightbulb lit in his head and his expression. ”Hey! So you’re basically like a space newbie then.” He leaned over his seat, behind his pilot’s chair was a bag filled with random oddities.

He dug into the bag briefly before pulling out a little baggy of some kind of green powder. ”This is Wie from the Faurians. They grow some of the best on this side of the galaxy.” He opened the little sealed package, and took a long whiff before passing it to Qi to smell. It was like a barrage of spices and wood. He then poured the powder carefully onto his extended dashboard and used a long metal finger to make precise lines. ”You can either lick it, or sniff it.” He pointed to the three rows of Wie. ”Go ahead and try it! It might help you feel a little better ‘bout your whole – situation.” Though he wasn’t entirely sure what that situation was, his attempts at empathy were usually just excuses to get intoxicated.

”Consider this is your initiation into space sailing! Welcome to the pirate's life!” He smiled warmly.
Old Posted 02-05-2018, 06:44 PM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #29  
The twins followed in Tennan's endeavor, however unconsciously, each draining their mug to half-empty and slamming it on the table in the highly exaggerated manner of pirates were just beginning a night of drinking. Both were keen to notice that all of this was done in unison and smiles erupted on their faces--the brothers each holding a hand out for a high-five to the other, then decided to include Tennan on in their ritual each holding up their other hand. Tennan now in on it, the twins each gave the other a look that seemed only to say She can keep up. She can be one of us, the third in our trifecta of explosions and mischief... Oh, how they had waited for this day! A third party that would show that they were not exclusionary to other members of the crew.

Indeed, the rest of the crew treated the brothers much like Marco had, simply staying as far out of their way as possible. Marco drank maybe a fourth of his, pressed as far back in his seat as humanly possible if only to put some distance between him and the three. They'd said that Tennan was new, but Marco got the feeling of anything but. She seemed to already belong with them. In a way, he envied her in her ability to keep up with the boys and actually enjoy herself, to actually enjoy being around other people. On Ariacan, he was always a lone wolf. There was no romance for Marco, nor friendships. It wasn't that he didn't want one, or maybe even two, friends, but he was terrified of each and every one of them. He didn't say anything, just continued to shift his eyes from one of the three to the others in turn lifting his mug to sip from it. Tennan was right; this was a very good brew.

“Damn right et is!” Damon said, raising his mug once more to finish the drink in one fell swoop.

Roek picked up his mug and grinned waggling his eyebrows at Tennan, “Cook makes et 'ere on the ship! 'E's the best damn brewer in the galaxy, an' we get 'im on our ship. Et's to 'im that we owe all our successes, giv'n us reason t'fight.”

Damon's brow, however, furrowed seeing Marco gingerly sipping at his drink and moved his hand to tip the mug at a steeper incline making Marco's eyes go wide with the sudden influx of alcohol, “Thar we go, that's better, isn't et?”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Qi looked down. Lush. Green. Both descriptors of the way her planet was not even an hour ago. The Yingya descended on them in an instant. There was no fighting back. There couldn't have been. There was no way to predict what was about to happen and when it did, they took everything. Guangda was a land of a simple life, and it made for a popular destination for pirates to land, gather supplies, and take off again. They never stole from the locals and often paid handsomely for fuel and food, their economy booming just due to these miscreants. This was probably why Ilan was there to begin with, a weary traveler just looking for supplies, and Qi was lucky that he was there when he was. “I am new to space,” Qi murmured, bowing her head and clasping her hands in her lap. She swallowed some spit that had gathered at the back of her throat, choking back tears. Some formed in her eyes despite her trying not to, the blackened sphere that she once called home growing smaller as they traveled.

Qi took the little baggy in her hands and breathed in. It smelled delicious, the kind of smell that made her think of incense burned at the temple weekly, daily in times of festival. It reminded her of Nainai's house and the altar dedicated to her Yeye, gone before she was born, but always there. He was much a part of her life as Nainai had been. Qi didn't see her death either, she was with her brothers at the time, just getting ready for one of their fishing trips when they came. “It smells...good,” Qi said, almost a whisper. She looked up to Ilan taking some of the bag and putting it in her hand, “Is enough?” With his nod, she extended her tongue lapping up the drugs like a cat drinking from a saucer of milk. It tasted like it smelled—really delicious. She wanted more, if only for the taste, but she knew better than that.

“You're...pirate?” Qi said, gulping. While the pirates of the skies were the cause of a boom of economy, she'd been warned against fraternizing with them. They were thieves, rapists...murderers. Her prejudices would have to be put aside, however. Qi couldn't describe it. Ilan was a pirate, yes, but she trusted him. It wasn't as though she had a choice, but the trust was there regardless. Something told her that she was safe with him, so long as she stayed with him. “I guess I'm pirate now, too, then,” Qi said, chuckling a bit despite the tear that was still making its way slowly down her cheek, across her lower jaw and to her chin. The tear wasn't for her fate that lay before her, but for the past she was leaving behind. Her parents would disapprove, but then, everyone in her life that would disapprove was gone now. She was a new person now, just like that, in an instant and not with a bang but with a small accepting laugh.

The stars began to lose their clarity.
All that is empty in the drawing should be filled in, the teacher said to us kids. First you sharpen the pencil to fill in the thin whiskers, then you use the thick crayon to fill in the wings with brown, meticulously and without letting the crayon leave the page. Six feet can be traced below the soft belly. Now, breathing is hard to detect on paper, the teacher said to me when I asked, but it is easier to feel it in real life.

Even insects breathe.

-Rawi Hage, Cockroach
Old Posted 02-12-2018, 08:07 PM Reply With Quote  
Default   #30   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
With Miss Blades in front, and the Danger Twins on each side, Ino didn't have many options. So he tucked and rolled, hoping to make it across the platform and back to the docks so he could run off with his bounty. Unfortunately for him, Tennan was too fast. She could read him like a book and with his preemptive movements, she was right on top of him. Ino couldn't remember much after that, just flashes of red and black as the alien with no eyes repeatedly stabbed him in the back. Quite literally.

Blood pooled around Tennan's feet and she didn't intend to stop. Like an enraged animal, she stabbed and stabbed, the sounds of her blades entering and exiting flesh intoxicating. She let out a gutteral moan, blood splattered against her thighs, her face, her pearly dress. Ino was surely dead.

It was as if Quash could sense it. His best friend, his caregiver was in trouble. But his mission was right in front of him, a target waiting to be fired at. With poisonous glands irritated and ready to shoot, he decided to aim for Marco's face. At best, it would seep into his eyes or mouth and kill him. At worst, it would sit on his skin and cause him to pass out from pain. Either way, he knew he needed to help out his master, and forced each globule of venom out with a hiss. One, two, three!

---

Qi was such an easy passenger. She rode with Ilan's drug induced punches, and didn't put up a fight. She took his drugs, she gave him music suggestions, and Ilan was soaring. "Take it all..." His hands were in Qi's hair, sifting it like sand. Just from touching her, he could see the girl's history unwinding. Consent wasn't something that popped in his head before he began his intimate procedure. It just seemed to happen naturally, as if the pulses of universal flow forced him here. With Qi, and her tragic backstory.

"You smell like seawater." Though this could have come off as an insult, his inflection instilled a sense of arousal from this fact. Ilan had no boundaries, no sense of personal space, and that was very clear. When one traversed the galaxy alone, it was easy to forget these things. Besides, he'd already made a reputation as the best one night stand in the central cluster. He sniffed her again, eyes dilated to a point of no return. He pulled away from his exotic treasure only for another taste of his herbal remedy.

The weeklong trip would seem just as short as it was excruciatingly long. He loved toying with his guests. By the time Qi would step foot on another planet, perhaps she would be a different person. It was his job to meld those lost souls who happened to find him. At least, that's what his inner God told him.
Old Posted 03-28-2018, 03:58 PM Reply With Quote  
sylvanSpider sylvanSpider is offline
Weaver of Webs
Default   #31  
The twins were slow on the draw if only because Roek was set on ensuring his brother's safety, upset that even a drop of blood leaked out. Damon, on the other hand, insisted that he was fine, he felt fine, and they had more pressing matters at hand like the escape of their hostage and the escape of the man that put the goddamn mark on his goddamn face in the first place.

“Ah'm tellin' ya, ah'm fine! The bastard's getting' away an' we're lettin' 'em! D'ye really want the newbie t'be stealin' all our thunder?!” Damon said, exasperated, gesturing in an exaggerated motion in the direction that not only the knife throwing man had run down but the direction that their newest willing recruit was running too. They'd have to toast to her tonight. Eventually, Roek was convinced (after too long, Damon would for sure argue with him later), and the pair caught up Tennan and the man.

They were too late, however, and the man seemed to be dead, the only movement his body made were those done by Tennan as she tore into his flesh. No poison necessary. She stabbed him enough to kill him several times over and Roek cleared his throat, “Ah...Tennan? Ah think 'e's dead. Ye can stop now. Won't stop ye from keepin' goin' though. Ah'd be lyin' if ah said et wasn't t'least a li'l entertainin'.” Roek was wearing a grin as if to confirm this and placed his hand on her shoulder, “My one regret es not 'elpin' ye with et.”

Marco screamed, dropping to his knees, hands instantly up at his eyes trying to wipe away any venom that wasn't already in his eyes. None seemed to be dripping into his mouth, luckily, but the venom was burning his skin, and if none were in his actual eye (one of his eyes was certainly protected by the eyepatch, to say the very least), it certainly felt like it. Hunching over, the most he could do was cry and pray the tears would flush out any venom that might have gotten into his eye.

/////

The drugs didn't help Qi to forget the horrors she'd seen on her planet. They didn't help her forget the faces of her siblings, trapped under debris before the Yingya came to finish the job, the look in their eyes, pleading her to gain the strength to free them so they could flee. That the strength, no matter how hard she tried to summon it, would never enter into her arms. That that strength wouldn't be enough to claim the life of even one Yingya. It did, however, numb the pain. It forced the memories, those unpleasant nightmares, to the back of her mind and Ilan was to take his place in the forefront, his touch sending chills down her spine.

She made no effort to stop him. Hell, she didn't want him to stop. She wanted it all, so she took the remainder of the rich herbs he'd laid out for her, gasping as they hit her system, as Ilan moved in as a tiger hunting his prey. Qi was a mouse hypnotized by the swaying of the cobra, hood extended, movements fluid. Her eyes found his as her hand went to touch his face. His skin, regardless of racial differences, felt like hers.

You smell like seawater...

His voice was gentle, comforting in the strangest and most unexpected of ways. Of course she smelled like seawater, her entire village smelled of seawater, living in the delta where the river's tide would shift from salt to fresh and back again based on the time of day. The smell of salt always permeated through the seams, into their clothes, latching onto their skin, embedding itself into their psych and in their biology. The villagers were never able to tell whether the salt they smelled on themselves was the seawater itself or the sweat from their own bodies and it was their belief that that self same sweat was their link to the sea that all would eventually return to.

Qi had no answer for the man. How did Ilan smell? He smelled of the soft whispers of a lover in the middle of the night, of a caress here, a nibble there, of the trembling of anticipation. He smelled of subdued joy, of unrequited love that had the potential to overpower and overtake everything that Qi was. She could feel his breath hot on her cheek, his hands silk sliding seamlessly through her hair.

He smelled of hope.
All that is empty in the drawing should be filled in, the teacher said to us kids. First you sharpen the pencil to fill in the thin whiskers, then you use the thick crayon to fill in the wings with brown, meticulously and without letting the crayon leave the page. Six feet can be traced below the soft belly. Now, breathing is hard to detect on paper, the teacher said to me when I asked, but it is easier to feel it in real life.

Even insects breathe.

-Rawi Hage, Cockroach
Old Posted 03-30-2018, 04:17 PM Reply With Quote  
Default   #32   Worm Worm is offline
Two Fish
With a cheery smile, Quash bounced when he saw that the man was in submission. He latched onto Marco's ankle with just enough fang to keep him from escaping. With one tug, he was dragging the man behind him. Quash was pretty big, but he was the runt of his litter. So he felt extra exhilarated with his catch. The sound of Marco's struggling was only fuel to the fire. It wouldn't be long until he was back to Ino...

Or what was... his master.

Tennan continued to jab into the man even after his face was destroyed. He was a bloody pulp, now only being bludgeoned and smashed to a point of total loss of recognition. Ino was gone. And Tennan was so focused and feeding on her destructive rage, that she didn't notice Quash letting go of Marco and throwing himself towards her. Mouth opened, serrated teeth all extended, he could not let this happen.

He landed on Tennan's left side, his mouth over her head, gnawing at her neck. She'd at least been pushed from the pile of meat that was his master. Now, she laid decapitated in front of Damon and Roek. Quash struggled to chew on the metal framed head that used to sit on Tennan's sleek shoulders. He ended up spitting it out, brushing his tongue off with long taloned feet. "God, that was disgusting." He spat out in a whiney, hissing voice, that was rarely exhibited outside of home.

---

Ilan could see her hometown. It was bright as day. The water pulsed with her heartbeat, slower and more intensely as he wormed into her subconscious. "Where do you find pleasure in life?" He spoke without moving his lips. Which were behind Qi's head nonetheless. Still, he brushed through her silk hair and stroked down her shoulders.

The moment she took her dose, he felt the heat between them rise again. "Remember that moment... Do you?" His voice in this realm of consciousness was like a buzz, a hum, yet something that Qi would perfectly understand, and know who it belonged to. Ilan had traversed many minds in his search for spirituality. These days he wasn't too sure what was right or wrong anymore. Isolation was a tough feat to overcome. He had to take that challenge with him wherever he landed.
Old Posted 04-10-2018, 08:34 PM Reply With Quote  
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