Imminent Dawn: Callisto

[Ether]

"Wearin' 'er out? Yer really gonna tempt me all bloody day, Selu? Oi hope you understand what yer gettin' yerself into." Catrin stuck out her tongue as Selumine got everything she intended to buy scanned by the teller, the feline fishing out her card and presenting it to the shopkeep before Selu herself had a chance to do so.

"Moi treat, since you're treatin' me already love. As for what to do next... well, Oi'm not really 'ungry yet, since we ate not too long before we set out to town, but if yer feelin' peckish, we can eat first. Otherwoise... Oi don't know what movies are playin' roight now, but the arcade is always a good toime, if you ask me. 'Ow about we start there, and then after we wear ourselves out a bit, we can see 'bout chowin' down or figurin' out if you loike the movies they make out 'ere in the Jupiter sphere. Over on Mars you've probably got a lot more stuff from the mudball in circulation since yer so much closer, Oi'd reckon." Catrin gave her suggestion, but Selu was free to veto if she so chose. Catrin wasn't going to object to another movie date with Selu considering how well the first had gone.

[mcd900]

Here wasn't quite the place to reciprocate in full, not with dozens of engineers around; but he set a hand on her shoulder as Vivien leaned against him, giving her a small squeeze. "Sure, that's fine, just... don't push yourself too hard. Just because it was a long time ago doesn't mean you need to rush for that missing time. Especially if it means that you don't end up, well... doing things properly." He paused for a moment, sighing.

"Ah, but as for your question... well, I'm just checking up on things, here. The Captain..." Alrenne smirked for a brief moment, unable to forget Vivien's... creative... nickname for Sia. "...well, she's gone into town, and things are all quiet up on the bridge. We're probably going to end up in another battle tomorrow, so everything needs to be in good order, here especially." 

The XO glanced around at the hustle and bustle in the hangar. "Well; want to come with me as I go around? I'll be inspecting things; we can say you just wanted to tour the hangar, if you like?"

---

Mick fiddled with a loose thread on his uniform as the two women mused over the situation, evidently taking the facts of what had happened to the ambassador as news - and not good news. "Yes, the details of what happened to you all were in Ensign Nishimiya's report. It seems you came out of that without too much of a scratch, fortunately - but I can say that nothing nearly that drastic had occurred besides what happened to the ambassador until you arrived. Your ship's arrival is undoubtedly some kind of impetus, though as to what or why, I couldn't say..." He crossed his arms. "I know the two of you have your suspicions about AHI, but it wouldn't make sense to me. There was clearly some kind of fight - and even outnumbered as our single security HEX might have been, Viktor was no slouch. He would've dropped at least one of them..." He clicked his tongue.

"Look here." He swiped his comm, the projector switching display to a slideshow of still images depicting the smoldering wreckage of what could have been nothing other than the ambassador's convoy. "The damage is precise." He grimaced, tapping again, zooming in on the wreck of the HEX-2, a clean hole through the cockpit. "Beam weaponry. It couldn't have been a ship, there's no way we could miss anything big enough to mount a beam. And unless AHI picked Ambassador Shiva's convoy as their first testing ground, AHI hasn't got beam weaponry in any real production. To our knowledge, anyway."

He paced for a moment, then his lips drew into a thin line. "Done in response to your dispatch... they'd have to have some extreme information capabilities to know to do that before you arrived, or a fast ship." He scrolled through his comm for a longer moment this time, then held it up, letting the retinal scanner run. "...There. Alright, now this... well, I think it speaks for itself."

The scene now playing before their eyes was grainy, but what was happening was apparent enough. It was grainy footage, a full third of the image not displaying - shot from the shoulder subcamera of a HEX-2, muzzle flashes from its rifle nearly blinding - but between them was a faint outline. An outline in the sky - the commander paused, scrolling to a frame between roars of the rifle. "Flying. From the silhouette it seems to have some massive boosters - we were only able to pull a few seconds from the black box. Have you ever seen anything like that before? Using a beam weapon with that kind of precision, moving at that speed - damn. We're just lucky whatever it was didn't come back for Ensign Nishimiya when we had her searching." He stared at the projection, scratching his chin.

---

17:02
Industrial Zone 16B, Remansburg Outskirts

Norbert groaned, leaning back on the shipping container he'd climbed on top of, tossing a cigarette butt over the side. 

Two past five. They're late, but what do you expect, I guess.

He dug his hand into the paper bag at his side, rustling around in it without looking. He had his problems with AHI, sure enough, but they ran every food joint for miles around. And, damn it, if the Jupiter Rings as Starsliders weren't wheels of fried golden goodness he could've said there wasn't a thing he cared for about the company--

An eighteen-wheeler started backing into the open warehouse lot - it wasn't on the schedule, not any of the official ones, anyway. It was on his schedule, though, and he slid off the side of the steel cargo container, flipping his baseball cap on, waving it over.

It was a well-trodden ritual for him by now - little mishaps he'd run across here and there ever since he started as a supply manager for this zone had led him to the realization that actually you could get away with a lot around these parts, and if that meant odds bits and bobs fell off a truck now and then for a couple extra zeroes in his account - well, how was he ever gonna complain about that?

It had started off as a neat little side business - replacement parts that were on weeks backorder, a small generator for someone's home greenhouse... then he met some people who were just a touch more jaded than he was, and then it was HEX parts - hell, even weapons, after a minute. And somewhere along the way he'd run into some R&D people who were a little ideologically motivated, and, well...

The back of the container on the truck popped open, and a hand beckoning him over popped out. He jogged over, peeking inside, giving a quick nod to the shades-wearing man inside. 

What've we got here...

Edited April 11 by mcd900

[Ursali]

All you had to do was leave my damn cockpit... Daeran thought to himself with the little time he had between Thesephine's final quip and the simulation starting for real. Despite the added weight on his lap, and the unmissable cascade of violet-white hair, once the sounds of simulated combat began he found himself able to focus solely on the loaded combat scenario rather easily. It wasn't necessarily bliss, he was still engaging in fast-paced combat with split-second decision making, but it was far better than what he had been thinking about or dealing with the brat on his lap.

He had tuned Thesephine and her mumbling out as he piloted the simulation, so it took a second for him to realize she was talking to him, making more demands. "As long as it keeps you quiet." His tiredness was blatantly on display, if she happened to glance up at his face, and he could feel the edges of sleep creeping in with the brief moment of solitude he had had when Thesephine was still being tuned out. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he returned to his room; by the time he returned his troublesome thoughts would have resumed nagging at his consciousness. He also refused to leave this brat unattended in cockpit, for fear that she would cause an accident. Feeling as though he had little other option, he booted up the next simulation, this one a bit less engaging in the hopes that she would eventually get bored.

[Nanami Touko]

"So rude." Thesephine sighed... But... Even she could see that he was getting incredibly tired. He ran another simulation, a simpler one. She would've complained if he didn't seem so worn out, but even she had something of a conscience, slowly leaning back and resting properly against him. "Daeran," she began to speak, her voice softer and calmer than it had been, "I've told you something of a lie... I didn't recognize you at first, of course, because I had only heard your name. But, as soon as you mentioned who you were the son of, things clicked... I am well aware of your position on this moon, and your father's. I'm spoiled, yes; I'm not so blind as to think that I'm well behaved. I just don't care about that-- what I'm getting at is that I, am not just some girl that wants to see how a machine runs... I'm plenty informed about how HEX machines work. I look into my father's work all the time... And I had been..."

She huffed, twirling a strand of her hair, "hoping to meet you and hoping you would, be excited to meet me as well. Know who I was already... I suppose I shouldn't have, assumed that, or... Something, anyway!" She huffed, voice getting a bit angrier again, but only for a moment, calming herself once more and crossing her arms. "If you require rest, then get it. I won't touch anything. You can shut the machine down and lock the controls... Just... M-Make sure you show me more later, okay!? These machines are amazing! This next generation is so much better than the last that they can't even begin to be compared and I MUST see how well they perform in all areas! I'm far too curious. And you can... Can, a-ask, me about, my dad's work and, if... If you're interested-- you SHOULD be interested, as a CEN pilot, you know!?" She huffed again and turned some to face him, face ever so slightly red, gold eyes staring up at him, small frown adorning her eyebrows. "So just. Just, sleep. Okay?"

---

"I can just do extra credit to make up for it if I fuck up, no?" She pouted a little as he talked about doing things 'properly', almost groaning at how much he sounded like a teacher. "It wouldn't hurt you to take things a bit less seriously too, daddy." Vivien slammed him with the pet name and stuck her tongue out before leaning away and sighing. "Sure, I can look at stuff with you... I know a little bit about HEX machines. Saw it in those documents I got access to when I-- ah. Hm. 'Spose I shouldn't talk about that stuff so openly... Well, whatever." She then re-latched onto his arm and squeezed tight, clinging onto him with all the effort her little body could muster!

"Let's go then! You can be my good luck charm... Alrenne equipped, plus ten to social anxiety resistance. Even if it adds a negative modifier to your embarrassment, mrhrheheh." She stuck her tongue out again, but had no plans to let go, leaning into his arm as hard as she could without making it uncomfortable for her-- if he was uncomfortable, that was too bad. He'd signed up for Vivien and was going to get the full package.

---

The information came at them like a punch to the face. Beam weaponry, beam weaponry that couldn't possibly had been registered to a battleship with how precise and small the hole was. Small in relation to a battleship's cannons; the Dawn's beam weaponry would've melted the entire top half of a HEX model if it were struck unprotected. No. This was a rifle... A proper, working, beam rifle, technology that the CEN had only begun testing on mobile suits.

Louise covered her mouth to hide her shock, gently hugging herself. "This is... That's too much, all at once. Beam weaponry, and... And what, is that? Those kinds of boosters, that kind of precision, all on... It has to be a mobile suit, a HEX of some kind, something-- but, that's impossible. We flew here on the Imminent Dawn, sporting the latest in CEN technology. Is someone on this moon beating us in the arms race? And this drastically? What the fuck... I think I'm going to be ill. That kind of precision and power is... The devastation... And you sent the Ensign back out knowing this...?" Louise had to bite her lip behind her hand to stop herself from snapping at the commander, knowing her place in the rung. Even if she was with Sia on this occasion, she was still just LTJG; an outburst at a superior officer would result in serious reprimand.

"We're lucky she survived," Louise managed to say, the ire still present in the back of her voice, but she did her damndest to not look at the Commander while she said it. "This is... not good. And if you didn't find the Ambassador at the site of the attack... It's safe to assume he's either dead, or they took him. With beam weaponry like that, there might not even be a body... Fuck." Louise had used her rifle in the previous engagement, but it was bulky, slow, required recharging, it wasn't the most precise, it was easily countered by a close engagement-- she could have continued the list in her head, but it wasn't a weapon like this. Fast and precise beam weaponry in the hands of mobile suits would change the face of war forever. Not in a good way... "Captain, we need to return to the ship as soon as possible and inform everyone of this. We need people on this... If we have any hope of finding the Ambassador. Or what's... left of him." She grimaced again, her face having gone pale a while ago. Dammit. Dammit! This is the worst news! How could... WHO could... Argh! DAMMIT!

---

"I know exactly what I'm getting myself into, Catrin." She reached a hand up and gently flicked the woman's nose, smiling somewhat confidently. She'd never had someone after her this severely, or at all... It felt good. It felt great. All she had to do was wear stuff like this and she'd have Catrin all over her like she'd lost her mind? I like this... I really like how this feels. I should do this more often. Sure, she's gonna drive me into the bed harder than an industrial drill later, but... I like that too~

She hopped off the counter with a wide smile, leaning into her girlfriend and holding her hand. "Let's go to the arcade, then. Set some unfair scores on the machines. You're augmented and I'm a great pilot. I'm sure we can ruin some stuff on there, yeah~?" She tugged Catrin along, smiling even wider, even giggling some. "Today's already been great, so whatever we do, it's just gonna make it better~"

---

"Heyyyy, don't say it like that... You're gonna make me seem irresponsible." Azame grew a bit red at all of the things Marianne was pointing out, squirming some in her seat, her ears flattening a bit.

You ARE irresponsible! You're offering too people-- one, barely an acquaintance, and the other, a STRANGER, a free tour of a military vessel!! Azame!! Think!! Senri screamed in his brain, still all smiles, Azame looking towards him.

"You can come too, Sensen. I'm sure you're interested-- and if not, it's gotta be better than sitting here trying to look cool while you swirl around that glass. I know you've only had one drink. He did the same thing at the other bar, Anne, I tell ya, this guy's a real card.

Urhgk. He flinched ever so perceptibly, still smiling, letting out a chuckle. "If you're determined to get us onto your ship, then, by all means. I've never seen the inside of a CEN battleship... Even if it's just the hangar, I'm sure it's quite impressive." She's not going to think, she's just going to think about Marianne's ass. Jesus. Somebody save this woman...

"Right~? Well, you two think on that. Don't you worry about space, Marianne, I know exactly how to make us both fit." She winked again, having cheered right on up, glancing at Senri's empty cup. "Speaking of only one drink... You two want me to fetch you something from the-- y'know what? I'm gonna~ And I'll surprise you both. This place makes a great Ring of Jupiter." Azame pushed herself up, bounce quite pronounced as she sprung up, hips swaying to show off everything.

"... Lord. Good luck, Marianne," Senri muttered as he sunk into his seat some. "That woman is a hurricane... And you're in the eye of the storm. Anyway. Please don't panic. The person at the bar speaking with her red headed associate isn't human, and I noticed it far too quickly... their tail," he continued, leaning forward and speaking quietly, glancing towards the helmeted individual once again, "moved far too biologically to be a prosthetic. I've been around plenty, aesthetic or otherwise... It's too organic. I don't know what they are, but we should really take Azame up on her offer and not, be here."

---

It seemed Amy had caught his intended meaning and shirked away from it quite readily. He wasn't sure he could blame her... It seemed quite the sensitive topic, so it would likely take a bit of gentle prying. Still, he was determined, so he didn't let the diversion get him down. "All the important things that we need to make sure the ship and the pilots can keep running. I've just been charting the Dawn's paths around Callisto, making sure that any of the flight paths we take while we're lifted off don't go through civilian areas or cause too much disturbance. A ship can be quite loud in atmosphere... Mmm..."

He leaned a little closer and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head, staring down into her eyes. "I did mean your other work, to be candid about things... But, given how quickly you swerved, I'm going to assume that's off limits for now. That's fine... Promise. Not at all bothered. I just am interested in what that mind of yours is cooking up, Amy. You're beautiful, funny, fun to talk to and plenty knowledgeable about your work, so I know whatever it is has to be incredibly impressive." He couldn't help himself, winking some to try and sell the deal. "Just think about it. I think I could be a good wall to bounce ideas off of."

---

"I think that if anyone expected this to be easy for you, they'd be off their rocker," Cheryl said with a small wink, being a touch unprofessional for a moment. "Let's have you avoid that individual for now, yes. Later is a good idea... If you're not feeling anything wrong with your medication or your head-- anything to do with your response to Newtype weaponry, I'm not going to send you over to Rosa yet, okay? You just let me know if I'm wrong about that, or if that changes, and we'll have you examined right away." Cheryl took a few more notes and then set down her notebook, leaning onto her desk some.

"This is going to sound a bit canned, Esther, but... You're young. Off the cuff, if it were up to me, the military wouldn't be turning children into soldiers because of aptitude at being Newtypes... but, you still want to do your best here, and I respect that. I suggest, that you buddy up with one of your crewmates, especially during combat. Have someone both to watch out for, and to watch out for you. That sort of camaraderie goes very far in situations like this. It might sound cheesy, or like something out a movie, but the Dawn is a very unique ship... And those sorts of unique relationships between pilots mean life or death on the battlefield sometimes."

She let out a sigh and leaned back. "Listen to me rambling-- is anything else troubling you, Esther? I feel like I'm doing so much more talking than I should..."

---

The arcade was much louder and full of people than she'd expected, all kinds of machines going at once, plenty lighting up. It seemed they even had a section for ticket games where you'd be able to test your physical skills and win a prize. "Skee-ball..." She eyed that for a hot minute and then slowly let go of Markus' arm, swaying hers behind her back and bending over some. "Well, we should get separate cards, for sure... That way, I get to beat your butt at some of the games here, right~?" She chuckled menacingly before heading in, waving for him to follow. "Come on, come on!"

Up at the counter, Miz was already buying herself a card and loading it up with tokens to play, stuffing her wallet back into her purse and then cocking an eyebrow back at Marky Mark. "You ready, shades? Cuz I drive a mean race car... Probably. Heheh~ I know I can beat you at the ticket games! I don't go to the gym every morning for show. These guns are gonna give you a run for your money~"

Edited April 11 by Nanami Touko

[Ursali]

"..." He was silent as Thesephine's attitude seemed to shift, becoming more genuine and honest about her intentions. There were some concerning lines still mixed in with what she was saying, but she didn't seemed to be as much of a unredeemable brat as he had initially made her out to be. He let out a big sigh, feeling terrible for how he had treated her even if he was convinced she deserved some of it. "Sorry for being so short with you, you're really, getting me at my worst." He sighed again, more of a yawn tinged with melancholy, as he sank into his chair, his hands falling from the controls and onto the chair's armrests without even locking the controls. If he was going to trust her to stay in the cockpit while he slept, then there wasn't really much point in locking the controls; he was too exhausted to bother with the extra work.

Once Thesephine turned to face him he found himself staring down at her, almost blankly were it not for the tiredness displayed all over his face. She was actually rather cute when she was behaving, if what was occurring could be called behaving. He didn't have the willpower to fight off her urging him to sleep and, with the edge of her bratty behavior no longer a factor in keeping him awake, he quickly passed out.

---

"Told enough." Was how she chose to respond to him, which was a blatant lie. Nothing they had on the pilots, aside from the actual target, went beyond public information. Even then, most of the extra information on the target came from Tokiwa herself. She smirked as the red-maned pilot asked her for information about, she assumed, the situation as a whole on Callisto. "You asking wrong person. Do lot more work than do knowing. Can show you my work, if interested?" She laid the bait-- Invitation at his feet. Surely Tokiwa wouldn't mind one, as long as it wasn't the target before his time came. And even if she did, how mad could she possibly get? A little shuffling of events and she could make it entirely justified, anyway. She just had to convince herself of them first and make sure Tokiwa was distracted when she told her.

As she gave Leon time to ponder her invitation she turned to look at the individual that was trying to stare a hole through her helmet. Perhaps stare wasn't the right word, but she had felt his gaze on her nearly the second she entered the bar. Their appearance didn't match anyone that she could remember, but that didn't mean he weren't on a list somewhere. Had her tail caught more attention, or was there something else going on with this person? The brief flash of panic that played across his features as she turned her attention to him was both amusing and seemed to indicate that something was up, but she hadn't missed the companion at his side, quietly growling into her helmet. One was pushing it, two was risky and Tokiwa was guaranteed to be pissed. Three would probably result in her getting rocketed out into orbit for a week or more...

She turned back to Leon, hoping to get his response before the woman that was approaching him, rather rapidly for a bar, could interrupt them. "Well? Want to see work?" The malice in her words was nigh undetectable, largely due to her helmet muffling her already monotone voice and hiding the dangerous glint in her eyes.

---

Edited April 17 by Ursali

[Ether]

"So long as we're on the same page love, because Oi also know exactly what Oi'm getting moiself into later tonoight." Catrin snickered, pursuing Selu's retreating hand after her playful flick on the nose, until she came up to her girlfriend's face and gave her a quick peck as their hands clasped together. Letting Selu pull her along enthusiastically, Catrin nodded along with her, eventually stepping in closer as they continued to walk, nuzzling her face into the nape of Selumine's neck and purring into her with a soft, low hum. Careful not to get into a situation where they'd trip over one another's feet, Catrin continued along with Selu in lockstep as they kept moving towards the arcade.

"Sounds like a plan, love. Bust the bloody joint roight up, aye? Oi'm glad yer 'aving a good time... Oi know Oi can be a bit over the top sometoimes, it's noice to see you enjoy keepin' up with me, aye?" Catrin admitted, pressing her cheek into Selu's and nuzzling her tighter.

_____________

The arcade had always been one of the more bustling locations at the shopping centre, and current day was no exception with the flashing strobe light and various machines busting out music at differing rhythms and beats, the cacophony of myriad melodies and lightshows giving the high-energy arcade an almost rave-like ambiance. As they got in close enough to really drink in the atmosphere, Catrin finally detached herself from Selumine's neck, pulling at the smaller woman's hand as she swung her hips in an exaggerated manner, bobbing and bouncing about as though she was diving into the centre of a mosh-pit.

"'Ere she is, Selu! Iffin' you can imagine it, they've got it 'ere, games of all sorts, pretty well every genre, biggest game centre on the moon. C'mon then, Oi'll grab us some cards for the machines, aye?" Catrin piped up, leading the pair inside and up to the counter, just behind another apparent couple who were in the middle of grabbing cards for themselves.

"Anythin' in particular catch yer eye, love? We can start wherever y'want." Catrin asked, her faux-moshing having calmed a decent amount as they entered the arcade proper, swaying and dancing in place along with the music as she waited for their turn at the counter.

[TheRoon]

Told enough? What does that mean I wonder...and her speech pattern. Hm. Leon couldn't help but keep his eyes locked on the dark helmet of the smaller figure, between that and her tail Leon almost thought he was chatting up a beast of some kind. It only got him more and more curious, especially after she brought up her own work and an offer to see it. His heart was almost set ablaze as a small smile crept on his face. But he recalled Sia's words, and remembered that he wasn't here just for himself. "Oooh, that's real tempting. If you asked me during my ol' merc days I'd totally take you up on that. So sorry, but I'm gonna have to turn you down." He took another sip of his martini. "Besides, given our positions in all this somethin' tells me I'm gonna get a good look at your work anyway."

He leaned forward a little, as if he tried to peer through the helmet visor. As best as he could anyway. "Well that's fine if you don't know, I'll get what I need in the end. I always do." He let that confidence flash a little. "But while I got you, can you at least tell me why you're working with Shezsacosh? I'm sure you can't speak for the big guy or whoever was hiding behind the desk, but you gotta have a reason."

[GoldsbroTSG]

"Separate cards, that works." He followed after her, "Though, I'm pretty confident too, I don't intend on losing all day." The blonde replied with a smirk. After she obtained her card, he got his own, and he started looking around at the various games. There was so little time, but so much to play. He did notice Miz looking at a game earlier. When she brought up her muscles, that led him to retort.

"Then let's put that to the test, huh? You were looking at skee-ball earlier?" He took off his glasses, the dim lights of the arcade were making it difficult to see. "Let's put on a gun show." He nudged her as he started walking over to the machine. Markus gave the machine he stopped at a few knocks, and thought on it before,

"So, genuine question. You ever actually play skee-ball? It'd be fucked up if I walked in and you didn't know how it worked."

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Sia shook her head, "You're the first person to say it so direct… but not the first that's given me the sense that our arrival was the first thing that tipped an already unsteady set of scales." Things really were spiraling, maybe they should have started with the shopping– it was going to be difficult to keep out of her own thoughts at this point. Mick quickly threw cold water on their AHI ideas, pointing out that there hadn't been a fight at all at the ambassador's convoy. Unfortunately for Sia, that was not the end of the problems or the questions, as the man showed them an image of the damage, and then… footage of the engagement.

Sia's mouth slowly opened as she looked at the pinpoint beam damage. She was not the most knowledgeable on the specifics of HEX weaponry, but she got by with her tangential knowledge, and knew that beam weaponry was usually the domain of battleships. It was far too difficult to devise a weapon at this point in time that was both powerful enough to create the beam, and compact enough that HEXs could readily use it. The closest they had was Louise's rifle, and even that didn't match the pinpoint nature of the damage. Nor the fact that the machine using it was flying.

Sia gawked at the machine, far too blurry to make out anything beyond the rifle in its hand, and the large boosters. The beam rifle was already ahead of their technology, but HEX flight was currently beyond them. It simply wasn't feasible to allow a HEX to sustain flight, the power plants simply weren't able to supply the kind of power necessary without sacrificing other important functions. And even then, fighters were still superior options for aerial combat. Or at least, they were with traditional weaponry in mind– this was something entirely different. 

Sia shook her head, "There are… way too many things to consider right now. Let's say that AHI is not the one at fault here," Sia pointed at the wreckage, and then at the machine, "Who could even have working beam rifle technology? We're dealing with technology now that outstrips even that on the Dawn… so that leaves very few avenues. Either AHI or CEN is lying about their current capabilities, and had reason to target the ambassador, or, and this is arguably more concerning, there is a third entity on this moon with technology beyond both AHI and CEN." Not entirely impossible, either. We still don't know the capabilities of Toki and her subordinates… and I can't rule out that they wouldn't have anything to gain from the turmoil that might arise from the ambassador's disappearance…

Sia was glad for the ire that she heard in Louise's voice as it gave her time to temper herself. "Surely the ensign wasn't the only one on the search with something like that out there? I'm aware of the shorthanded nature of the embassy out here, but…" Sia looked over at Louise, "You're exactly right… I'd be hard pressed to say that this isn't related to things happening on this moon, and everyone needs to be aware of what we could possibly have to deal with." Sia looked back at the commander, doing her best to stow her frustrations both at the commander for effectively throwing Ensign Nishimiya to the wolves, and at the rapidly ballooning situation, "Commander, thank you for your time. If you could transfer that video, and image to me, the Lieutenant and I will return it to the Dawn and see if our engineers can give us a better idea of what we're dealing with. Please continue with your efforts here; leave direct matters over the ambassador to us– that machine is not to be trifled with, and I expect if we continue to search for him, we'll find that machine as well."

---

Huh. No, it really is this easy. She's lucky that I'm not interested in hurting someone. Azame seemed to get it for a moment before immediately bouncing back to herself, and teasing Senri over his drink. The flinch from the man proved her point, and Marianne could only giggle, "Well, it seems like it works quite well for him." It was smart, especially now knowing his allegiance; didn't want someone like her sauntering up and pulling the truth out of his mouth with some batting of the eyelashes. 

"Oh, you don't--" Marianne's words fell on ears that were no longer present as Azame bounced her way to the bar to get them both drinks. Marianne sighed, and looked back at Senri, "You know, she reminds me of Alouette. They're both shaped almost exactly the same way… but they couldn't be more opposites if they tried…" Both Azame and Alouette were the kind of woman who didn't grow up, they grew out, and both women were extremely impressive. Alouette was just leader of the best ran rebel group on the moon, and Azame… appeared to be a little too into a woman she hadn't known for longer than ten minutes. "Anyway, I'll be fine, I've dealt worse, and if I'm being honest, she seems like she'd be a lot of fun to be around. Confidence with a body like that is always a recipe for something interesting~"

Senri changed the topic and Marianne gave it a faint glance, "You're making it real difficult to remain calm when you talk like that. What about Red over there? He came with Azame, so we'll have to get him too… I guess I could expedite things, give Azame a little something to hurry her along, might pull him as well." Why the fuck is it always me with the weird ones… Wait what the hell am I going to do about the meetup?!

---

Her obfuscation seemed to work, she… was not ready to talk about those plans yet. They meant so much to her, in both good and bad ways, but it was the bad that stuck out to her. It was hard to forget everything she went through over her designs; it would have been almost complete ostracization if not for some of her teachers standing by her. The industry was so incredibly cutthroat, that being labeled as a plagiarist and a thief was a death knell for most– even if it wasn't proven. "Oh yeah, that would make sense. With the kind of engines you need to make this thing fly, the noise would be rather ridiculous for anyone below. Haven't quite gotten to the point where we can make those silent~"

Amy flinched as Tristan came in for the kiss on her forehead, not even realizing that he'd gone for it until she felt his lips. He then confirmed that he wasn't going to press on it, but he did mean her actual plans, not the ones that she was paid to work on. As he finished with compliments, belief in her work, and talent, Amelia fell uncharacteristically silent, eyes down at the table, and her face uncomfortably warm. "...y-yeah. It's… hard to talk about. Just…" Amy melted onto the table, and just laid there for a moment. "I… Tristan. I… I want to show you, I, I really do… it's just… really bad memories. I… don't suppose if I say Boston, that it would ring any bells, would it? You worked… with HEXes before becoming a navigator…"
 

[Bluemask 96]

Once Sen got in, Gean made her way to the driver's side of the vehicle. “First shop nearby, got. I hope we're lucky then. Depending on how far we go, we can drop off the supplies and maybe head out for drinks.” Sen laid out the plan for the evening and with a roar of the engine the two were off.

---

Unfortunately, luck was not one their side in this endeavor, runningthrougha number of possible places but still missing a few crucial components. To be honest, Gean was enjoying being in the engineers company and seeing her in her element while discussing with the shops that the failure to find the pieces hadn’t bothered Gean all that much. There was also Sen’s occasional bits of flirting, though Gean had a feeling that was Sen’s way of finding her own fun in the midst of all of this. After a half an hour of searching through the more official shops, Gean pulled into a more vacant warehouse lot Sen instructed her to. “Well, you wanna hedge our bets here? Looks like they got a new delivery by the truck over there.” 

[Xinnidy]

"Eh... hm." It wasn't the feedback that Esther was expecting, but it's not like Cheryl was wrong. "I... just wanted to prove it. I thought, if they put me through all that, then I should be able to beat the battlefield. Why would they do that otherwise, eh..." The words weren't flowing that easy, but with Cheryl's comment, it felt more important to try and vomit her thoughts out, even if it was hard and unusual to Esther. "Mmm, maybe I will. All my sims were solo so far. Guess that wouldn't work out with what happened over there." Esther was still looking at the floor, hesitanting to stare at Cheryl, grabbing at the hem of her skirt. "I... haven't really reached out to any of the other pilots. Even the guy that messaged me kind of did it at random, on his own. I don't really, uh, know where to start."

[Ursali]

"Why?" The question was near immediate as Leon turned down her 'generous' offer to see her work, Alriana grumbling in her head as the man leaned in close. Stupid mercenary, where's all your bravado now... She stared up at him, unperturbed by his attempt to peer through her visor. She dared him to see something, to have a flash of fear flit across his face, because he was a dead man if he saw anything more than his reflection in her visor; Toki's orders were that anyone who saw her face, because of how blatantly unhuman her teeth were, couldn't be allowed to live. She was tempted to raise the visor herself to give herself the justification now that her first plan had failed, despite the fact Toki had included in this same order that she was not to do it herself, but the number of people that might see here were too great.

She growled quietly beneath her helmet, not really caring for Leon's next question. "Don't see why I should tell someone who doesn't want to see my work. No information come free." Perhaps she could bait him back with that, rather than going the nuclear option of showing her face. She knew he wouldn't like the answer he received, anyway. None of the others who asked her things like 'why', or 'why are you doing this' seemed pleased with the answers they got.

Edited April 23 by Ursali

[TheRoon]

The red head's eyes were firmly glued to the visor of the helmet, and in his all seeing eye he was able to glance at...more darkness. It did too well covering up whatever secret identity she had been hiding. She doesn't seem to mind me staring at least, makes a guy wonder if she cares if I see anything. She's pretty let down I refused to see her work. Wonder what her angle could be... When Aly turned Leon down he couldn't help but give a big sorrowful frown. "Aww, really? I'm hurt. Here I thought we could be friends...~"

But just as soon as he ended that line he let out a short laugh. "Ahaha, I guess not. Nothin' in life is free, not even my own life. I had to fight tooth and nail for that one." He leaned back in his seat as he gave up on his prodding. "Y'know what, that's fine. You can keep that for now. I know you know my name already, but for the sake of formality I'll introduce myself anyway. Leon Silvavolke. Here's to an interesting road ahead of us!" He lifted his glass in a toast, though he didn't expect the girl to return the gesture.

Edited April 23 by TheRoon

[scorri]

Sen's feet were starting to hurt. They had found the first batch of ingredients quite quickly, but were left looking for the few most crucial bits, the parts that would actually make the beam split and target multiple targets, with no success. She'd still been enjoying the trip, Gean was ever so delightful of a companion, but she was ready to be done shopping and put her feet up with a drink. Something with a fancy umbrella and strong enough to knock most people down was her goal. She was consulting the list she had made beforehand of available shops and grumbling at the lack of remaining options when Gean spoke up. Looking up, she considered before shaking her head with a laugh. "We must be truly desperate to try and find these parts in the back of a trailer in a parking lot rather than the official shops, but I suppose we have no options left. Well spotted, we have to try I think. Lead the way, Gean~" She slid out of the car, stretching to her full, unimpressive height, before pulling her list of parts back out. Just the few pieces left... They have to have them here, otherwise we're out of luck until we get back to Earth. Looking over at Gean, she smiled and nodded. "Right then!" As they made their way across the parking lot, she called out early enough that they hopefully wouldn't startle the man too much, "Helloooo~ We noticed you were getting a new load in and were hoping to find a few specialty parts. Any chance you might have some things in there that aren't in the main shops?"

[Nanami Touko]

Thesephine watched him pass out completely... She let out a small huff and leaned back against him, pulling out her phone and curling up on his lap. "My fault for getting my hopes up and assuming, I guess... Not that I'll ever tell him that. Hmph. I'll just wait for him to wake up, then..." She idly flipped through Callisto's net, finding some of the streamers live to watch while he napped. She slipped a set of earbuds into her ears and flopped against him completely, getting comfortable.

---

"Hey! Leon~! You havin' fun over here?" Azame butted into his conversation with the... Biker? Giving them a wave and a smile, then turning her attention back to red. "You should head on over to my table~! I've got two real lookers talked up into a visit to the ship... don'cha wanna get in on the action? Ehhh?" Azame leaned past him towards the bar, waving down the bartender. "Two of your strongest, please! Not for me, though. Gotta drive the car~"

---

The arcade was booming with music, games, people playing, lights, all sorts of sounds in between... It was striking. She'd played a few video games here and there, things that you could play on your phone or on a computer. This was all classic stuff, stuff she'd read about but never gotten her hands on. "Let's do a racing game!" She almost jumped in place as she said it, eyes wide, staring all around. "I wanna go head to head with you, but I feel like you'd kick my ass in a fighting game or those carnival games... Maybe I can watch you do those later, but! I'm good at going fast... I think I can take you if it comes to racing."

She giggled a little as Catrin couldn't stand still, swaying a bit along with her, her energy quite infectious... Glancing past her... "Whoa." She'd seen plenty of augments, but... "Those are crazy," she muttered, impressed, a bit stunned, looking her all over. "Catrin, you seeing this...?" The couple walked away, Selu almost whistling. "Can't believe anyone would get augmented that far, but it was immaculate. Dang."

"Of course I've played skee-ball you doofus~ Heheh. I wouldn't suggest it if I hadn't... Don't get cold feet on me; I'm gonna play circles around your score. I've got that middle hole all figured out." Miz winked, taking her card slapping it into the machine, ready to play, picking up one of the balls and effortlessly tossing it with a spin, only to catch it without even looking. She put her other hand on her hip and leaned forward some. "You've met your maker, Markus~ Hope you're ready to get creamed... You want me to go first, set the score, or should I let you kick your feet around in the pool before I splash this wave of points over you~?"

---

Senri's eyes shot off of the helmeted individual, focusing hard on Marianne, only using his peripherals to watch them now. "Great, now they're looking at me. Thought I was being inconspicuous enough... Let's just hope that Azame brings Red back with her and we can convince them both out of here and back to the ship. Or at least, out of here... Geez, this is not what I signed up for today..."

---

"... That was you?" Tristan had heard the news of it, never looking too deeply into it, but he recalled something about stolen plans and a disgraced student, but... To think it was Amy? That's what she was implying, anyway... Well... That changes... "Huh. Never thought I'd meet the person responsible face to face... Oh well. You're here now, and I trust that anyone who wanted you on the Dawn would've also known... If I can trust their discretion, I can trust you. Maybe you're a really good actor, but... I don't think so. I think you're a genuine engineer that got stuck in a terrible situation. Life's put you here, after it all... And you should be free to explore anything you want. You think the other engineers are gonna care?"

He slowly slid a hand into her hair and smiled, gently cupping her face. "I bet if you showed everyone here your plans they'd be jumping up to help you with it. Whatever it is you're working on has to be a slam dunk... You and I both know you're way more than a pretty face. They don't put people on ships like this if they don't deserve to be there... And you deserve it every bit as the rest of us, Amy." Phew... Laid it on a little thick, but I meant it all, so... It should be fine. Yeah.

---

"Where to start... Shared hobbies? Simply asking to train together, some co-op simulations against enemies rather than going toe to toe with each other. Just saying hi back to the one that messaged you... At your own pace, of course. Maybe for now, rest and enjoy some recreational activities. Movies, books, a swim at the pool. I think they have a hot tub section... It just wouldn't do to strain your emotional state so soon after what happened, but, you should try and push your boundaries once you've returned to a comfortable medium. Does that sound alright, Esther?" It would likely be difficult, given how Esther seemed, now and from her file, but it was something she was going to have to do to get along with the squadron. They were going to be on Callisto for a while, after all...

Edited April 26 by Nanami Touko

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Amy shrank as she finished her words, expecting realization to flash across Tristan's face. It tended to happen, once people put two and two together, they understood that she was the student from Boston that got disgraced after being one of the top candidates. 'That was you?' Amelia braced herself for what followed, that was always how it started, in another moment the hundred questions about whether it was true, or if she'd really done it. Then the smile, nodding, and then the wave goodbye, and then--

Suddenly, Amy found her head being raised, her cheeks cupped in Tristan's firm hands. She'd missed most of what he said as she began to panic, but she couldn't miss what he was saying now. It really was very simple, and very direct--but Tristan, unlike a lot of the other engineers, seemed to care very little about the Boston incident, even going so far as to say that he didn't believe it at all. No questions, just an affirmation. Just the simple words, you deserve it as much as anyone else, Amy. Amelia just stared at Tristan, but she could feel herself flushing harder than she ever had. She was sure that Tristan could feel the heat from her face as he held it, all the while, Amy remained frozen in place. She almost couldn't believe it. 

The first indication that Amy was still present on this place of existence was a sniffle, and then a tear rolling down her cheek into Tristan's hand... and then Amy reached out with shocking speed, grabbed Tristan, and pulled him in tight, clutching him to her chest. She wasn't stronger than Tristan, but the surprise maneuver left him with little time to do much else but to be drawn in, and she squeezed him against her chest, not quite processing that she was much too large to be squeezing him that tightly against herself. "I, wh, y-y-ou, ahhh, you, T-t-thankyouthatmeans... ahhh...!" Amelia's mind was moving so quickly that even her sentences were floundering, leaving just a teary-eyed, overexcited mess. 

[Nanami Touko]

"... Did I say something wrong?" You made her cry... Did I say too much? This is probably a sensitive topic, maybe I should've-- With a speed he would never have expected from the woman, his face was suddenly enveloped in a soft darkness, having to slowly, and a bit forcefully, pry himself free-- enough to breathe, still held close to Amy.

"Ah, h-hey! Don't go killing me on accident there... Geez... I'm glad those aren't upset tears. It's okay. Take your time. Let it out... I was just being honest." He couldn't help a bit of a smirk-- and then he heard a whistle.

One of the other engineers, baseball cap, purple hair, wide, knowing smirk. "Y'all havin' fun? Amy, y'know yer still on the clock... Ain't nothin' serious right now, but don't sit there all day with yer boyfriend, yeah?"

"Ahh, haha... Sorry, sorry. I was. I'll, I won't keep her long... Here to help out! Really. Promise." He didn't want to get her in trouble, hugging her and giving her a tight squeeze, still feeling the incredible grip she had on him, even if he'd escaped the plush embrace of death. "You're wonderful, y'know that? What say we get to work and you can give me something to help you with?"

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Amy couldn't remember the time that she had been this happy over anything, except that was a lie, the last time that she had been so happy had been receiving her acceptance to Boston. She had been bouncing off the walls when it finally arrived, but this, if not equal in measure was just about the same. Tears rolled down her face, but she almost couldn't care less if they messed with her light makeup, because Tristan didn't believe the Boston fiasco, and he was just so... "Huh?" Tristan finally squirmed his way out her vicegrip, rather, so that he could breathe as she realized that Tristan's face was dead center of her chest. "O-oh, uh, s-sorry! I was just, uh, s-so ecstappy and," Amy brought a hand to her mouth as she caught the portmanteau, and then Avery wandered over, the smirk on her face making clear that she knew exactly what was happening. 

"Ohuhyeah, sorryAvery! We were just..." Tristan returned her hug in the middle of her answer, and once again complimented her, "Mmm..." If it had been possible, Amy was sure that more than several puffs of smoke would have left her body in the moment. "...Y-yeah, just, hold on... there's... still stuff... yeah." Amy had no idea how red her face was, but she was sure that it could probably be seen from the other side of the hanger. "L-let's run the diagnostics... Yeah... that'll do for now."

I'm going to ruin him... I can't believe it... How can someone be this... warm and cute, and smart and ugggggggh...

---

Marianne remained quiet, thinking hard about what to do next. If Senri was right, then they were in danger here, and they needed to not be. The tail really was something far more organic than any augment should have been. Azame was going to take a bit getting their drinks, and she hadn't noticed anything at all, walking straight into the jaws of the beast. "...Hey, Senri, hold this." Marianne stood up, and tossed her jacket at the man, "I'm gonna go make a bet." Marianne flipped her hair, and strode her way over to the counter. If this person was a threat, then there was a reason that they weren't going off of them right now. If that held true, then the quickest way out of there was walking straight up to the front door, and not tripping the traps inside. The best treasures always come in an element of risk~ 

Marianne slid over to the group, coming up behind Azame, and gently leaning on the ensign's back, making sure that she was right in Red's line of sight. She looked at the bartender, "Reisa... could you have whatever my friend here asked for to go, please? Something's come up, and it would be best for us not to miss it~" Marianne then turned to look at Leon, "Are you the friend that Azame keeps mentioning? I can see that she wasn't just tooting your horn~"

Marianne nodded, "Oh, right, Azame, turns out that I have an engagement fairly soon, so if we're going to go see the ship, we'll have to go now, unless you'd rather wait?" Marianne stood up, stretched, and slowly turned, giving Leon the faintest of glances, turning her back to Azame, and landing a hand on her hip, "If so, then I'll have to go to get ready for that." 

 

Edited April 30 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Nanami Touko]

"Heh. So cute..." He hadn't expected her to get so flustered, gently patting her hair as she finally released him, all smiles and ready to help with the machine work. "Right, diagnostics. I'll start on some of the machines lower down the list, and then we can meet in the middle. Feel free to correct me if I make a mistake, it's been a minute since I've done something like this, but I'm pretty sure I remember the process."

Mm... I really hadn't expected her to react like that, but... It was so cute. She really makes it hard to hold back... Can't believe how wonderful she is, really. Guess people are blind to brilliance over the slightest rumors, huh? Their loss.

[GoldsbroTSG]

Markus held his hands up after her response, "No prob, no prob. Just thought I'd ask." As he lowered them, seeing Miz's confidence, it gave him a mildly mischievous idea. He maintained a mildly nervous, but proud demeanor. He slid his card on the machine and got his balls ready. Turning to Miz,

"Sure, you can go first. I gotta see how good you are." He pulled a ball from the machine and eyed both his and her machine's holes. "Subject matter expert in her element." He was good, but he was gonna play around a bit, and see if either, he's gonna impress the hell out of her, or make her lose her marbles laughing. He looked at the ball as if studying it, and then studying the lane, as if figuring out how to toss the ball into the right goal.

[TheRoon]

Leon's head turned to his bubbly and bouncy companion when she approached. "You've been busy, huh? Wait, what's this about a ship tri-" Before Leon could really get into that topic the blue haired dancer he had his eye on earlier approached as well, with a lean that could catch any man's attention. Oh...yeah busy is right. "Aaah, she's been talkin' about me, huh? Aren't I popular." He chuckled. His eyes were locked on the form, he enjoyed it a little. But he did notice the glances every now and then. It seemed like they were in a hurry to go, and Leon could guess why. "Mm, it's a real shame though. I didn't get what I was looking for..." He finished his glass and stood up. "But maybe you could help me out, considering we're all headed the same way too. Mind a fun chat along the way?" He laid it on a little thick but he hoped she could help at least.

Edited May 2 by TheRoon

[Ursali]

"Don't need friends." Was all Leon got for his attempt at perceived pity, what with the frown that briefly flitted across his face. She stared up at him, eyes flicking off the unknown at the table, as he gave his final spiel before they were inevitably, yet abruptly, interrupted. Unfortunately there wasn't a shred of fear or dread in the man's expression, meaning her helmet had actually done it's job, much to her annoyance. The first interloper waved to her, while the second pretended that she wasn't even there, eyes solely on what should've been her prey. She turned to look at the man now alone at his table, making sure to both make eye contact and remember his features. Whoever he was, he was likely responsible for the urgency of his companion's need to leave, given the woman herself had hardly stolen so much as a glance at her. She would remember this slight and plot her revenge accordingly.

And who said her revenge had to wait? The woman's gamble to pull Leon out of her clutches left her companion back at her table all alone. Not alone enough for the lizard to kill him, they were still in the bar after all, but certainly alone enough for her to slip over to him. Leon's attention was entirely on the two woman, which gave her all the more reason to slide out of her seat and approach the now lone soldier. She made sure maintain eye contact as she walked over, the expression hidden behind her helmet equal parts malice and annoyance, her tail slightly flicking behind her. "It rude to stare at strangers across the bar. No matter how strange they are."

Edited May 2 by Ursali

[Nanami Touko]

Senri let out a quiet sigh of relief as Marianne worked her magic and got all eyes on her... Which meant they were going to be leaving soon, getting away from wait why are you getting up why are you looking at me no what NO-- Senri's eyes couldn't help but lock onto the helmet as they walked towards him, shrinking some in his seat, that tail flicking all but confirming, in his mind, that something was going on. They spoke, a rather feminine voice, but he was too panicked to be worried about any of that right now. "Ah, ahah... Haha... I've, just never s-seen augments like. Yours. Before... They're impressive. You, erhm. Work for AHI, r-right? I, haha, I've... Seen you at the headquarters before," Senri, shut UP, why are you still TALKING!? "with that uhm. Tokiwa, individual? Yes? Ahahah. When I've been there on business. Was just impressed. That's all." Senri was sitting perfectly still, but his hands were a fidgeting mess under the table, eyes flicking towards the rest of the group. Please hurry up?

Azame watched Marianne perform her little attention routine, eyes LOCKED onto her hips as she turned around, jaw going slack, only realizing she was gawking as she almost drooled. "Fuck. So glad I wore shorts today. Right~! Let's go~! Gonna bring 'em all to see the ship, Leon, just a little tour between friends. I mean, when do you get to see something like the Dawn, eh? Crazy impressive isn't it?" Azame walked past Marianne, giving her a serious set of bedroom eyes as she did, before looking back at-- "Oh! You made friends with them already, Senri?" Azame stepped towards the helmeted individual, put an arm around their shoulder, and then flinched as they recoiled away, putting her hands up. "Whoa! Sorry! Just trying to be friendly... Figured since you were talkin' to ol' SenSen here, you were buds... Are ya? You wanna come see the ship too? The more the merrier, right?"

AZAME WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Senri screamed internally while trying his best to maintain his poker face, knowing that if he gave up the ghost, things could get violent... Now that he was closer, he could see that the 'outfit' this individual was wearing wasn't just casual wear... This bomb of a situation is way too dangerous. How did I get wrapped up in this?

---

"Just you watch." Miz smirked with the most confidence she had since they'd met, spinning the orb once more before tossing it down the lane... Twenty, fifty, twenty, one hundred! "Haha~! See? I'm a natural~!" However... The next set of rolls didn't go so well, a bunch landing in the gutter ring, leaving her sighing. "Well... It has been a while, but, hey! I still hit the one hundred once, and I think I did pretty great for not having played in a decade. Hmph~ Let's see you do better, huh?" She stuck her purple tongue out at him and took a step back, arms folded.

Edited May 2 by Nanami Touko

[Mercenary on the Winds]

Practice, and experience... works like a charm~ 

Both Leon, and Azame had their eyes on now, which would make it easier to get out of here, "Depends on what you're asking for~" Marianne gave him a wink, "I've been known to be quite helpful." Marianne turned to look at their major threat, and suddenly her heart dropped. They were gone. Rather, they weren't gone, they had started wandering over to Senri. The thing about gambits was that even if they worked properly, there was a lack of information that always made things risky--something Marianne missed, or the target being brazen enough themselves to employ a gambit of their own. Getting Senri up and out wouldn't be too difficult, so there wasn't anything to worry--oh god, Azame.

There was the other issue with such laid plans, maybe she'd shorted Azame's reasoning centers with the performance as she marched right up to the threat, and tried to pull an arm around them, failed, and then asked if they wanted on to the ship. Senri's eyes flicked over several times, the 'please help me' so loud in his eyes that almost felt like he was shouting it. Maybe trying to get on this ship was a mistake, maybe I should have just left Leon, and Azame, and taken Senri with me... Fuck, what do I do?! 

Marianne internally panicked for a moment, before hitting upon a possible avenue, turning to Leon. They needed to get control of the situation, and at this moment, only Red was going to be able to. Even if it made her seem a bit more... suspicious in the end, she was entangled now, so she had to play the field. "Hey, you..." Marianne leaned in close, "You need to stop Azame from bringing helmet along. I don't know who, or what they are, but they're not anyone's friend, and I don't think anyone will be happy to see them on the ship. Pull rank, call the captain, slap her ass hard enough that she forgets, I don't care. Do that, and I'll part ways with some information you, and your buddies on the ship might like." Marianne started slowly making her way over to the table, perhaps at least if she wandered back over, Senri would look like like he was going to die. Truth be told, he's probably not even wrong... Why does today have to be the day that Alouette's ill? Where the hell is my contact?! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Edited May 2 by Mercenary on the Winds

[Ether]

Catrin hadn't intended to be the first one to say anything, having had her own fair share of her augments being pointed out, but she couldn't help but nod as Selu took notice of the elephant in the room... well, she looked more like a demon of some description rather than an elephant, but that was beside the point. Paying for their cards after the duo containing the second heavily augmented woman they had come across that day, Catrin sauntered back over to Selumine, hips swaying as she offered the Martian one of the cards.

"Lookin' at another woman roight in front a'me, Selu? Oi'm hurt." Catrin teased, the wide smile on her face hopefully making it abundantly clear she was just playing around. Looking the woman in question over quickly as she walked off with her partner towards one of the skeeball machines, Catrin gave Selu a quick squeeze.

"Oi agree tho. That's quite a lotta work t'get done... and it looks high quality too. First the fox, and now 'er... usually Oi'm the most aug'd up in the room, ya'know. Well then, racin' was it? Sounds loike a bloody good toime, Oi think! Whatcha in the mood for, hmm? Last toime Oi hit the racin' sims 'ere, they 'ad cars, speedboats, boikes... even one a'them fancy full-simulations of a fighter place cockpit... though that one was less racin' an' more dogfightin'... No HEXes last Oi've been 'ere though." Catrin prattled on, describing the various racing cabinets as she began to pull Selu into the section of the arcade they were located in, watching her face to gauge her reaction to the various options.