Starting Anew [OPEN]

[stoot]

FIRST THREAD EVER! This thread connects to "Questionable Biddings" at Murdo's Shanty, which then connects to "Find Me A Way" at Persephone's Sights and Sounds.
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"You have arrived at Persephone. Thank you for using our shuttle services, we..."

The sound of the robotic female voice was drowned out by the sound of shuffling feet and hushed conversations as the passengers departed from the shuttle. Dust billowed around the door as it lowered and revealed the orangy air of Persephone. It smelled much different from home, Stoot noted. It smelled cleaner and more refreshing. He was excited.

Stoot hadn't left his home moon since the war, and that wasn't a good memory to go and stir up. That had hardly been a vacation. He looked around the foreign area, a backpack containing almost everything he owned slung over his left shoulder. His crooked smile twisted the corners of his lips. He had a good feeling about this.

The whole reason he was here was to meet with an old war buddy, Ryan Hannigan. It wasn't until now, with the multitude of other people around him, that he realized that it might not be that easy. Ryan probably wouldn't be just hanging around, separated from the crowd. He would have to look for him.

There was a lot of interesting stuff here. All of the stands with people selling shiny things that were obviously stolen, the entertainers juggling and doing acrobatics on the sides of the walkways to make some extra platinum. And then, he saw in the near distance, what must have been the docks; the place where Ryan asked him to meet in his letter.

Ryan had written Stoot to tell him of his life since the war, to catch up. No, not just to catch up. To make him an offer. An offer, Stoot knew, that he could nor would not refuse. Ryan had acquired a ship, a dream he'd confessed to in their time of war-time friendship. The only dilemma he now had was that he did not have a crew. Not yet.

It had deeply flattered Stoot to receive his letter. He figured Ryan would have forgotten all about him, would have never thought of him as an option when it came to crewing a boat. But alas, he had remembered all that Stoot had confided to him, including his aptitude for finances. Ryan claimed that he needed this, though Stoot doubted it. Perhaps he was just being nice.

Either way, he was taking advantage of the opportunity to get away from that mudhole. Anything but muddin'. Anything.

He entered the docks, marveling at the majesty that was the boats. Some would be considered junk by normal standards, but Stoot was little more than a tourist here in Persephone. They were all amazing and shiny in his eyes. It took him awhile to navigate the area with so much to look at.

Stoot was highly distracted, engrossed in a particularly large ship that had to be at least four stories, when a hand clapped down on his shoulder. He spun around, startled, to see who it was.

[hackanut]

Ryan sat perched on the loading ramp to the Atlas, fiddling with the knife he'd taken off of his ankle, waiting for Danny-boy. After so long of waiting for his new life to start, he was beginning to get impatient.

'calm down, you'll be off the ground and with a friend soon enough.', he told himself.

Ryan thought about what he had just told himself, 'I'll be with a friend soon.' didnt that sound rutten shiny! He hadn't had a real friend before or after Danny-boy, now that he thought about it... but he didnt want to think about it; that's what he'd been doing his whole life and it clearly hadnt worked out so far. Having this ship, having Danny-boy... it was going to change his life forever.

Ryan suddenly realized he'd been sitting there thinking for some time now; Danny-boy would be here any minute!
He quickly sheathed his knife, buttoned his vest, and re-rolled his shirt sleeves. He knew he didnt look like much, but he wanted to look somewhat presentable for his only friend.

He then scanned the room for Danny-boy. Ryan hadn't seen him in some time but he didnt think he would of changed much, so he looked for a familiar shape.

All Ryan could see where the usual faces of the local captains and other Townies. One of the people he saw, however, stuck out like a soar thumb. They were gawking at one of the nicer ships and had a large backpack stuffed to the brim hanging from one shoulder and what could pass for a small cat of a beard on his face. It was him!

Ryan resisted the urge to yell out his name and instead snuck up behind him, put his hand on his friends shoulder and spun him around.

""Danny-boy! If you aint the prettiest face i've seen in awhile!"", he said and he hugged the man.

[raven]

Rebelladane stepped off of the shuttle, stumbling a bit as she came to stand on the firm ground. She swayed a bit before catching her balance. In normal cases, she would have stood up straight, shoulders thrown back, chin lifted. However, nothing was normal about life. She ducked her head to keep from being noticed by anyone who could report their sighting back to the General. She pushed forward, maneuvering as quickly as she could around the milling people. She muttered angrily under her breath. This was one of the main reasons she couldn't stand people. They only cared about themselves, their own destinations, their own time. Another person who was in a rush meant nothing to them unless said person stepped on toes - literally or figuratively. She clenched her fists, willing away her thoughts of doing just that. The people around her would surive.

Rebella stumbled as an elbow hit her shoulder. Flinging out her hand, she grabbed onto the shoulder of a tall man just before her, talking with a shorter, heavier companion. Gasping, she quickly pulled her hand away and murmered an apology. She glanced up at his angular handsome face for a brief second before she dropped her hazel gaze and hurried on. She ducked into an alley and went in the back door of a pub. Without much difficulty, she found a loo and ducked into it. For a few moments, she stared at her reflection: long, golden curls; striking hazel eyes; defined cheekbones; stubborn chin. With a sigh, she dropped her bag to the ground and pulled out a pair of shears. Cringing, she lifted the blades and cut her curls, letting them fall to her feet. Tears welled in her eyes as the curls she'd worked so hard to gain disappeared. She quickly finished the task, treating it like a bandaid that needed to be torn off quickly instead of left to hurt more. After her curls were gone and her hair was shortened enough to look quite boyish, she deposited the shears back in her back and took out a dye. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she began rubbing it into her hair, and her brows...

Rebel walked out of the pub, gait long and smooth. He hooked his fingers in his belt and assumed the swagger that most men around him wore. Keeping his head down, he pulled his cap lower, eyes scanning the crowds. All he needed was a way out, and he'd be free - for the most part. For a few minutes, he meandered about the crowds, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Eventually, he spotted the two men he'd seen earlier. Perfect. He approached the men slowly, warily, watchful. It would be easy enough to pass off being mute, he thought idly as he fished in his pack for papers. Grinning, he pulled out the crisper of the few and looked down at what it said.


Name: Rebel Carnaboi
Age: 18 years
Knowledge:
- Medical
- Mechanical


Short, sweet, and to the point. Perfect. He reached the two men and held out the paper to the taller man. He needed this job, or at least a ride on the ship for which he'd work for his keep. If he didn't get off the planet soon, he was a dead man. Literally.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]

[stoot]

", Ryan, you nearly scared the outta me!" declared Stoot as he recognized the face connected to the offending hand. He welcomed the friendly hug, clapping his pal on the back as he did. When they pulled away, he took a moment to examine his friend. It had been a good few years since they'd seen each other, but Ryan was basically the same guy he'd met during the war. He made mention of it verbally.

"You haven't changed a bit, you dog," he complimented, securing his backpack over his shoulder. "Well, where's your--" He cut off in mid-sentence as a small blonde woman bumped quite noticeably into Ryan's side, and he couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression on her face. She hurried off into the crowd, fast, gone as soon as she'd appeared.

"Damn, almost thought you had a girlfriend," he teased. He then continued his statement from before. "So where's this boat you keep braggin' about? I'm not agreeing to anything until I see the heap!" Of course, this was another teasing remark. Stoot was intensely loyal to his friend Ryan, and besides, he was so desperate for a change in his life that he welcomed whatever junk-piece of a boat that his friend had to offer.

Anything but Higgins' Moon.

(ooc: I'm going to assume a little here, since it takes awhile to cut and dye hair)

Stoot was now standing in front of the boat that he would now call home. Despite Ryan's denial of it, it was the most beautiful boat he'd ever seen. While his friend tried to tell him that it wasn't top-of-the-line, it didn't matter. To Stoot, it was. It was so....shiny. He'd never been aboard a boat before. He felt very sentimental about the act of being able to do so now. not only step aboard...but move in!

"She's purty," he said with a low whistle. "What's her name?" Stoot knew enough about boats to know that you couldn't put one in the sky without naming it first. He'd seen a lot of interesting names on the docks today; he was interested to know this one's history the most.

Before Ryan could answer, though, a small boy walked over to the two of them. He looked unsure of himself; scared. One eyebrow raised high into his hair as he handed a piece of paper to Ryan. Did they know each other?

Many teasing comments welled up in Stoot's throat but until he knew for sure the affiliation of the lad and Ryan, he wouldn't disrespect any friends of his. Not on a first impression, anyway. He simply watched in interest, his curiosity dying to know what the note said.

[hackanut]

"You haven't changed either, Danny-boy... well, except for that thing on your face!", Ryan said as they pulled out of their hug. The two friends stood there taking each other in for a moment before a rather awkward but pretty girl crashed into his elbow and stumbled away. Ryan thought he heard her apologize... but he didnt have time enough to tell her it wasnt needed.

Ryan was rather excited to finally show Danny-boy his ship.
"I know its not much.. but it'll do us good for awhile.. I think we might have a problem in the engine somewhere, though. The rutten thing wont run for more than a before dying on me--", Ryan stopped; he'd noticed Danny-boy was staring, wide-eyed at the ship. He'd known him long enough to know that meant he liked it.. and that made Ryan quite happy.

Before Ryan got to reveal the name he had chosen for the ship, a teenage boy approached him and presented a small piece of paper without saying a word.

He caught Danny-boy's curious look and decided to read the note out loud :
"Name: Rebel Carnaboi
Age: 18 years
Knowledge:
- Medical
- Mechanical"

"hmmm, so...Rebel, can you talk, or do you just like taking people off gaurd?", Ryan asked. The Boy just stared at him.
"ugh... ... I'll take that as a no, then?"
The Boy just continued to stare.
"Alright, tell you what, if you can fix whatever is with this thing, I'll let you on board. Maybe teach you to speak, if the feet's possible... whad'ya say? Shiny?"

[raven]

Rebel stood silently as the tall man read the sheet's information aloud - no doubt to save the shorter one from having to waste his time reading it. Throughout the tall man's questions, Rebel forced the words in his throat down. It would do him no good to speak and have questions be asked, suspicions raised. He slid his long fingers into his pockets, drumming them lightly against his thighs. Hope swelled in his chest, like a beautiful flower blossoming in the first breath of spring or a small bird unfurling its wings and taking flight for the first time. He reached down once again and pulled out a sheet of clean paper, accompanied with a long fountain pen. With quick, smooth strokes, Rebel wrote completely sideways - common of the left-handed young man.

I can't speak. Forgive me for taking you off guard, Mr. Tall Man. That was not my intent. I'm more than able to fix what ails the ship. I will work hard, Mr. Tall Man and... Mr. Short Man?

Rebel slid his hazel gaze to the shorter of the two, and then shifted back to the man who seemed to be in charge, lifting his eyebrows as he did so in question. He didn't really know if the tall man was in charge, or if the short man was even a member of the ship, but he prided himself on being able to read people and the tall man seemed to exude the confidence of a ship captain. He could, after all, be the First Mate. Oh, well. He'd find out eventually.

He handed the sheet of paper to the man and shifted slightly. The 9mm Glock pistol blaster pressed against his thigh, hidden by the long jeans he wore. He wore a chest holster that held two 9 inch blades against his ribs, sheathed but easy to pull out by crossing his arms across said chest and drawing them out with a quick upward motion. He shifted once more, still a bit unused to the feeling of the holster. He almost always had the blaster on his person, usually at the inside of his thigh.

He stood in silence.

[hackanut]

Ryan watched as the boy scrawled something else on another piece of paper and reached to the outstretched hand and took it.
His eyes scanned the note.

"...Ain't able to speak, Danny-boy.", He turned and met eyes with his friend."Says he'll fix the ship though... wha'dya make of him?"

Danny-boy looked lost in confusion... Ryan couldn't really blame him, he supposed; He was a might confused himself.
He looked back at the boy trying to drum up some path of logic that would make things a little clearer but he was still at a loss.
Where'd the boy come from? What in the took his voice?

The boy just continued to stare at him.

[Admin Account]

Ursula exited the spacecraft, a much nicer one than the one docked next to it. The shuttle she'd exited from was a core-planet shuttle, top-of-the-line and air conditioned. The heat of Persephone was like a dry wall of exhaustion as she made the transition, but she quickly adjusted. Always-poised, the blonde's locks glistened in the sunlight as she looked around in indifferent interest. If her posture wasn't enough to tell, her luxurious and excessive garb certainly gave her profession away. People gawked; she was used to it. Apparently, companions weren't seen just roaming around on planets like Persephone very often. She could see why.

Everyone her was...what was the word for it? Dirty. It seemed as if nobody cared to wash their faces. She could easily spot those with money simply by how clean their face was. She wasn't here looking for clients, though. She was here looking for a ship. It shouldn't be hard to be accepted, Companions are highly respected members of society. Finding a ship to board her would be almost too easy; she just had to find a ship she wanted to board. What would be best for her business?

Walking gracefully through the crowded streets, Ursula entered the area where ship captains were standing about, looking for people such as Ursula to pay to be a part of their population. Her eyes scanned the ships briefly, noting the ones that looked valuable and the ones that weren't worth much. She wanted the biggest, brightest ship of this fleet. It didn't take her long to spot it.

Large, at least four stories tall, and shiny. It was definitely an Alliance cruiser, possibly the only one docked here. Alliance weren't as abundant these days so it made sense that only one would be sitting here right now. Five years ago, there probably would have been at least four. At least.

The companion walked up to the ship and looked around with polite interest for the captain. She didn't know who to look for, but certainly if any ship captain noticed a companion hanging around their ship, they'd come to her? She waited, secretly impatient at having to do so. Becoming very impatient, she decided she'd come back in a minute. She was mildly interested to see what other ships had to offer. If this Alliance captain didn't return to his post soon, she would just find a different ship. No loss to her, right?

She didn't like to think so.

Ursula continued down the long row of ships, bowing her head at any man or woman who had a shy 'hello' to spare. She generally left people speechless, so the blonde did not have to speak to anyone. This was a relief. Sometimes Ursula spoke too much for her own good. It was nice to feel mysterious and unknown in a new area. Nobody here knew her name but they knew her status. It was a nice thought.

She saw a group of three men (well, two men and a lad) standing around outside of a middle-class ship, apparently discussing something. She made eye contact with one of them and nodded, just as she had been doing to everyone else. Ursula didn't like most people, but she had a facade to uphold all the same.

[stoot]

Stoot nodded with false apprehension as Ryan read the boy's paper aloud. He did not speak during the small exchange; Ryan was asking all of the questions that he had been wanting to ask anyhow. Namely, couldn't this kid speak?

Ryan received a second note from the lad and did not read it aloud this time. Instead, he simply told him that no, he could not speak. But yes, he could fix the ship. He felt a little proud to be the second opinion...to be the first mate.

"Way I sees it," he said, chancing a grin at Rebel, "Don't matter if he can't talk, long as he writes fine. And, o'course, as long as he knows his way 'round a boat. Don't need words to put her in the air!" He nudged Rebel in the ribs, the way one man would to another. Unknowing of the child's true gender, he nudged her a little bit rougher than most girls would feel comfortable with, possibly even bruising. He chuckled. "'Atta boy. So why can't you speak, then?" he asked.

However, he no longer cared about what the mute had to say about his affliction. A gorgeous blonde had just crossed paths with him, and if Stoot wasn't mistaken, she was giving him 'the eye'. He was instantly lured in by the beauty that emanated from her. Others seemed to recognize it too. She inclined her head gracefully at him, and Stoot was finished. His grin widened as far as it could go.

"Hey there, purty lady!" he called at her, throwing in a wolf-whistle. "If you're lookin' fer a boat to ride on, you need look no further! C'mon over here!"

He didn't need to nudge Ryan in the same way he had nudged Rebel only a few seconds before to know that they all were noticing now. Man, she sure was pretty! Possibly out of his league, but it was worth a shot, right?

[raven]

Rebel stood a bit uncertainly as the man read the note and relayed it to the first mate. He didn't seem to sure about letting Rebel aboard. Was her feigned muteness that terrible? She nearly moaned in exasperation. Was nothing good enough for these people? She nearly fell as the shorter man nudged her - hard - in the ribs. Just half an inch higher and he would have felt her blades. Annoyance flashed in her eyes. Did men really find it nessary for physical contact? She moved away from both of the men, far enough away to be able to move before any physical contact came her way, but close enough to still be deemed in the group/conversation and not rude.

The first mate looked past her and his grin spread across his face. His words made her role her eyes. Men. She glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the tall blonde Companion. She knew it was their job to be noticed, but she, personally, had never enjoyed the cat calls. Occasionally, the looks would boost her self esteem, but they truly annoyed her. She spun back around, eyes blazing with anger, and grabbed the paper from the tall man, a bit rudely. She turned away from the two, not caring to see if the taller man was A. looking at the Companion or B. surprised or what have you by her rude grab. She scribbled furiously, the pen crashing through the paper at one point.

When someone hits you hard enough in the throat, they not only stun you and knock the breath out of you, but they can also damage your larynx, which can result in failure to be able to communicate verbally. Thus, you are reduced to writing.

She stared at the words, startled by the length, rambling, and the creativeness of it. Ah, well, they'd live with it. She turned back to the tall man and slapped it into his palm before crossing her arms angrily and turning away.

[hackanut]

Ryan stared at what Danny-boy had referred to as a "purty lady"-- and he was most definitely right on that point of fact: she was.. purty.

Then he realized exactly why she was so good looking, "She's a companion..." he muttered to himself. Ryan didnt seem to care that Rebel had he just ripped the paper from his hand; he was busy. He didn't think Stoot heard him so he said it a little louder, "Danny-boy, that tall drink 'o bitch over there you so graciously hollered at , is a Companion... and you don't get a chance with one 'o them unless you got the platinum what says you can, and you most definitely don't bitch from across the boat yard at one, shiny? "

He felt a slap in his hand, he looked down to see it was more paper and rolled his eyes without reading it. Ryan looked at rebel, the boy looked quite upset.

"Look kid, I know you must be a might... uh, disgruntled. But I've got some business to attend to and I'd think it kind of you to wait here or come back later.. don't care which."

Ryan then turned his attention back to Danny-boy and the companion, who had turned to face them.

' ' He thought to himself.

She was heading their way

((ooc: Ursula or Stoot next sounds about right))

[stoot]

Stoot looked at his friend with much confusion. He had personally never heard of 'companions' before. Having lived on Higgins' his whole life, not much of the real world seeped through. Just the important stuff.

But that did not mean that he was too thick to notice Ryan's insinuation; that you had to pay platinum to be with her. His eyes widened slightly. He had heard of those. So in the real world, they put a shiny name onto a shameful profession? It hardly mattered, Stoot wasn't one to judge. He whistled under his breath.

"Shiny, yes," He said distractedly, still staring at her and quite mesmerized as she started on over towards them. One eyebrow raised in regard to her. She suddenly wasn't quite as intimidating, knowing what she truly was. He looked at Ryan again, unaware that his voice carried even when he tried to be discreet. She was advancing fast.

"You guys sure got some purty whores on this side of the 'verse," he said to his friend, impressed. "I wouldn'ta pinned this'n for a whore....shiny."

[Admin Account]

Ursula made eye-contact with the larger of the three men standing in a circle and her eyes tightened when he whistled out at her, thinking her nod had been more suggestive than it really was. Stupid, impish fools, some men were. She could tell without hearing his greasy voice that he was an uneducated slob, probably grew up on some moon she'd never heard of and had probably never left there until just now. She'd never been addressed so daringly in all her companionship!

She looked to the other two faces. The tallest man looked highly embarrassed by his friends' actions. Perhaps he was assuming responsibility for his comrade? It seemed possible. And then the smallest of them, the youngest too, no doubt. Looked angry, slightly apart from the other two. But he....there was something different. Ursula could not quite place her finger on it. She felt compelled to try, though, despite the rudeness of the portly fellow that was in his presence.

However, her intentions quickly changed and her temper was piqued when she heard the non-discreet ponderings of the ignorant one. Couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? The tallest man looked more embarrassed than ever, as if he could snatch the words from the sky if he possibly could. It made Ursula feel a small bit of satisfaction, to know that she hadn't truly lost her charm. This fool just didn't understand.

Her hand itched to smack him across the cheek but she thought better of it. She was not a fighter and wouldn't provoke one. She had a feeling that if she did hit this man, he would hit her back. Not because he intimidated her, but because he obviously did not know who or what she was. Why else would he speak so foully, and why else would his comrade look so pale at the words?

"Hello, gentlemen," she said icily, her eyes showing no hint of sincerity at the words she spoke. She looked again at the young lad, her original reason for coming over. There was something off, but she still could not place her finger on it. She was determined to find out. "You wished to speak to me?"

She turned to the tallest man now, whom she assumed, that of the three of them, was the authority figure. Her gaze was cold and demanding. Ursula wished to knee his friend in the groin and was pretty sure this desire came through in her stare. If anyone was to offer her an explanation for the short man's actions, it would be from the most educated of the bunch. Perhaps he could articulate better...and perhaps he could not. She would soon find out.

[hackanut]

As the companion approached and spoke, Ryan almost couldn't contain his embarrassment. He could sense her urge to punish Danny-boy is someway, so he moved in front of him (between the companion and his friend) to try and dig themselves out of this mess.

"I-I-I'm very sorry miss," his voice shook," please forgive my friend. H-He's not from around here, you see, and-- well, I don't think he's ever run into a real companion before."

She didn't seem to be interested in apologies, however. Ryan felt a strange sense of disappointment that his image had been smeared to such a beautiful women. He knew it wasn't Danny-boys fault.. it was just in his nature. Ryan knew there'd be more things just like this that he'd have to teach his friend about. He just hoped it didn't get them in too deep.

"uh-um, w-would you like to come inside? Maybe have a drink or something?", Ryan turned at an angle, presenting his ship to the gorgeous figure in front of him. "I know its not much but... please?"

[Admin Account]

Ursula's lips curved up on one side, into a smirk, as a man was defending another man from a woman. It definitely satisfied the inflated ego that belonged to Ursula. She could not help but want to roll her eyes at his self-sacrifice. He seemed eager to make it up to her. This was more how men acted in her presence. Not even the most stoic of men could form proper sentences when she bore her eyes into theirs like she was currently doing to Ryan. She melted their resolve, made them naked.

Ursula usually passed up potential clients that could not keep their composure like this, that could not even keep their ground when in her shadow. She could not imagine bedding them! She'd managed it a few times, but it was either when the money was too good or the curiosity was too great. Sometimes it was refreshing to be 100% dominant...but yet, it also became annoying after awhile.

The tall man stepped aside to reveal the ship that Ursula had not been paying attention to. She again felt the need to roll her eyes this time, and this time could not resist. It was absurd, to invite an insulted companion into your seedy little second-class ship! Was he daft?

However, upon rolling her eyes, she found that her gaze did not return to the tall man before her. Instead they landed on the young lad who was still standing nearby, looking innocent compared to the other two men. She stared, hard, at Rebel. Her mind was made up. She returned her dark eyes to Ryan now, ignoring Stoot altogether.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." She said. However, as the man's face was falling, she continued. "I do not even know your names, you see. How am I to enter a stranger's ship? Do I not look like a proper lady to you?"

She said the last part teasingly as to let him know that yes, she would end up viewing the inside of his ship soon enough. Her eyes wandered over to Rebel again now. She clearly expected this lad to reveal his name first. She needed to hear him speak, walk, do something.