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Meia Gisborn: Not so Pink Anymore, huh?

Started by Bean Bandit, January 05, 2007, 03:22:57 AM

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Bean Bandit

From bad to worse. Out of the frying pan, and into the fire. When the tough get going, the going gets tough. Any horse in a gift port with a storm mouth. Any number of rather mangled cliches applied.

Life has a way of throwing curves at entirely inappropriate moments, but still, there was a certain limit to the sorts of violently disruptive changes that could be expected.

Being tossed headfirst into what appeared to be an especially vivid tacos-induced dream, or a startlingly realistic fan-fiction, Rezantis, Tech-Admin-Warcraft Addict of the Soulriders forums awoke in a body that was not his own.

In point of fact, it belonged to a young woman (Bad enough) of the Mejale-Tarak pirate ship, Nirvana-better known as the setting to the Anime 'Vandread'. (Much worse)

Meia Gisborn-His new identity was a fighter pilot, but before the fighting came run ins with Dita, Paiway, Barnette and others. This was a definite adjustment, and just as 'she' was settling in, the Dreads were scrambled, and Meia-Rez got her first taste of dogfighting- It was actually pretty damned cool, really. Dangerous as all hell, but that was as may be. But as the fight ended, She and another dread had been caught, and now, there was something a little more disconcerting at work-Mejale and Tarak and the implied worlds of that place had been left behind for something a little less fictional.

Emphasis on 'little'. After all, Rezantis aka Pinkie, Cardinal Rez, etc did NOT recall Callisto, moon of Jupiter, being settled in 2007. True, 'Rez' had never actually been to Callisto, but even so, it was something that was taken for granted. After all, if it'd been colonized back then, he would have known enough to bring a jacket.

It was COLD in the hangar she was in now. And that was only inside! Fortunately, her dread was roughly compatible with the mechanical systems here, and thanks to her wingmate, who'd been dragged along with her, one Barnette Orangello, they'd talked their way into landing, and were currently standing outside the hangar foreman's office.

He was a large man, muscular, spear bald and flabby, like a prize fighter gone to seed. Still rather intimidating though, as he towered over the two slight female pilots, and leering openly at Barnette, who would have looked disgusted, had it not been for her chattering teeth. Her 'flight suit' left rather little to the imagination, and was not at all suited to such a cold moon.

"...yer craft are real beauts-but they ain't for long range, are they? As I sees it, ya got pretty much no choice about landing here-anywhere else'd strip 'em for parts, even if they charged yas less." He was saying. "I'll even hold 'em without a deposit, but yer gonna have to pay the storage fee before I gives 'em back."
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

"Great," came the unsurprisingly sour response, "Just great.  So how much is that going to cost us?"

And how am I supposed to find out what the hell that number means.
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

"Two million Woolongs." The big guy smiled openly as he said the number, and it wasn't a mean smile, either. He clearly expected a positive reaction to his generousity, folding his meaty arms decisively. "An' I'll knock five hunnerd grand off it if we can't fuel 'em up. Just don't tell anyone what I'm chargin', or I'll has a mutiny on my hands. But we doesn't get many women here on Callisto, so'z I figures I can cut yas a break."

Barnette was shivering and hugging herself, and it was probably a good thing, because she clearly wasn't enjoying the attention he was giving her, and Meia did notice Barnette was only using one arm to warm herself, and the other didn't stray more than a few inches from her holster at a time.

The hangar was noisy enough, to pass for normal, but even vague glances around revealed some truth to the big guy's words, as the men working on the docked craft were pathetically unable to conceal their interest in the discussion by the office.
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

Two million woolongs . . . how the hell much is two million woolongs . . .

"Well . . . I guess we have a deal.  Thank you," Meia responds with a polite nod.

It's somewhere in the realm of bounties.  Just.  $#@%ing.  Great.
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

The big man nods agreeably, smiling wide to reveal yellow teeth, and opens his mouth as if to say more, but Barnette, suffering in silence until this point, pounces on the opening Meia gives, grabbing the shorter woman's arm, and snuggling slightly, but using it as a cover to urge Meia away from the portmaster at a hurried pace. "We'll be back soon to pick them up!" She calls over her shoulder in a light tone, before turning and eyeing the exit with trepidation. "I hope."
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

Meia desn't resist in the slightest as Barnette tries to hurry them both away.

"We will be.  For now . . . eck.  We're going to need some money, so I guess we should . . . well, you need something warmer and we should check how bad the damage to your dread is."

Meia starts moving back to the dreads, carefully not paying any attention to the people standing around . . .
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

"YES." Barnette agrees, fervently. She agreeably turns them and begins ushering Meia toward where the ships are resting. "What are we going to -do-, Leader? I don't know about yours, but my dread isn't going to fly out of here without major repairs, even if we can gather up these...woolongs..." She muttered anxiously. "Parfait is going to kill me."

The men all gave the women a respectful berth, and they were able to make it back to the Dreads unmolested, though nearly all the men were watching their every move closely.

Upon arrival, Meia could see Barnette was probably right. The nose of her fighter was terribly warped, and there were burn marks around the engine vents. Not at all promising...
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

"My dread's alright, but getting dread repairs around here is going to be a problem . . . for now, get yourself something warmer."

Meia walks over to her dread to inspect it for obvious damage, retrieve the ring, and look over what sort of useful inventory/gear might be inside . . . maybe . . .

I sure hope someone was better prepared than I am.
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

Barnette nods sharply, once, and trots off to her own dread to fish out the zero-g suit for a hull breach.

Fortunately, aside from the obvious fuel depletion, Meia's Dread looks in excellent shape. Still, it lies dormant-even the Paksis isn't all powerful, it seems. Climbing back in the cockpit, Meia locates the laser ring, and assorted other items for a crash-survival rations, a first aid kit, and medium knife.

While searching, Meia hears a strange thumping...
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

. . . and bites down a bad word, going looking for the source of the thumping.  

What the heck is wrong now?
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

Curious...it's not the cockpit...but wait, the cooling system is airtight. Why this is the case is anyone's guess, but if something came loose down there...well, there's no telling about what kind of mechanical errors COULD be inside her Dread...
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

Meia grimaces and hauls herself out of the cockpit, going looking on the dread for an access panel (and hopefully a better idea of what's causing the noise).
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

It's a simple matter to undo the seal and remove the panel. Simpler than normal, even, as the panel pops off with surprising violence, and a purple head with pigtails pops out, gasping. "Can't breathe..." Paiway wheezes, sucking deep lungfuls of breath into her lungs.
---
I love the games I've played here.

Rezantis

Oh god, you have GOT to be kidding me.

Meia stares blankly for several seconds.

"Paiway?"
Hangin' out backstage, waiting for the show.

Bean Bandit

"...Pai-check?" The tiny nurse replies, giving Meia a weak, sheepish smile.
---
I love the games I've played here.