RP: The Wayward Business Negotiations (Ep. 2.2)

The men looked the two over and then they eyed eachother a moment before the scaled one spoke up once more. "Sssector 8..is a long walk from here. If you know how to get there from the main pathsss you can just head that way for about 10 minutesss." He pointed off in a seemingly random direction as he gave his directions.

"If you want to get directly there from the back side it's a bit more...complicated." Spoke the other man, his face was more bestial and wild, and his eyes seemed to glow with the flames as a backdrop. "There are many paths and many ways to go. It is not easy to navigate your way around while staying hidden."

The pain spiked once more through Adiel's wing, and he snarled. The angel waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes! Yes! Whatever. Just show us the shortest way." he grunted in annoyance.

"Yes, please," said Ash. "We should be able to find our way once we arrive at one of the main roads."

"Look I get that you're in a hurry, but getting upset ain't gonna make your situation any better." The bestial man spoke as he stood up and adjusted his clothes. "Well whatever, I can take you for a small price." He stretched lightly one he was adjusted and began to walk without another word expecting them to follow.

Adiel rolled his eyes and followed silently. There was always a price.

While suspicious, Ash followed the bestial man and kept aware of their surroundings. She just wanted to get out of this part of the station.

She supposed she could give the man one of her several stolen KS cards as payment, depending on what he wanted.

Adiel's volatile nature waas certainly not helping things; Ash just hoped this would not go south like most of the events of today.

The walk was long, and light hardly ever reached their skin as it went on. There were many paths and many turns in the endless darkness. Even the smallest sound became something frightening in the the darkness. IT seemed like every turn they took lead to another stray animal wondering around ready to frighten them near into a heart attack. However the walk was finally over and they could see light just up ahead. The guide stopped and held his hand out, expecting some payment.

"This is it, you're in sector 8. Just make your way out and find the ship that you're looking for and you're good." He had a grin on his face that showed he was inwardly praising himself for how good he did leading them here.

Adiel brushed past the man, and called back to Ash:

"You pay him. Consider it your writ of passage. I'm the one who has to convince the captain to let you aboard, after all..." said the angel coolly as he disappeared into the sector.

Ash furrowed her brow with a scowl.

"Maybe I should have just killed him," mused Ash in her head. She met her gaze with that of the beast-hobo-man; he was grinning and holding out his hand for some kind of payment. Ash opened up her duffle bag and rummaged around inside it for a few moments. She then pulled out a KS card and slapped it into the beast-hobo's open palm.

"Thank you. That's got 50 or so KS on it. Stolen, but I managed to tweak it so the card will work for anyone. Only cash I've got." Ash zipped up the duffle bag and nodded at the man.

"You helped to pull us out of a tight spot. Go buy yourself something nice," she said, starting to stride away. She stopped and turned momentarily.

"Oh, and you never saw us, m'kay?" said Ash with a sly wink. She then turned and jogged to catch up with the ever-impatient Adiel.

"So what's the captain like? Not actually your ship then, huh?" she asked with a smirk.

"He's my favorite kind of captain- doesn't ask questions and gets me where I need to go in an expedient manner." Adiel replied evasively. He was going to board the ship, sure, but first he needed his luggage. He walked a few blocks before coming upon a grand hotel that rose several stories. The kind of place the remaining ninety nine percent of the population couldn't afford.

Adiel discreetly handed Ash a room key, and then leaned against a wall of a building, hiding his injury from passerby.

"One last stop. My belongings," he explained quietly. "It's a suite on the thirty-seventh floor. Room three-five-nine. Black, rolling bag. It's all packed up. Get it for me and we'll leave. I'd love to do it myself, but establishments of such repute can't stand the sight of bullet wounds. I'm sure you understand."

If Ash went through with it, she would find that room three-five-nine was in fact a suite, one much too large for one person to occupy, and very well furnished. A rolling suitcase with "A.A." engraved on a small, gold label sat in the middle of the massive space. It was all a rather vulgar display of wealth indeed.

"Of course," said Ash with a smirk as she accepted the key. "Can't have you bleeding all over their expensive carpets."

She turned on her heel and headed up towards the entrance of the hotel. She boldly walked past the doorman and strode into the lobby. Extravagance was abundant; apparently no expense was spared in the construction of this establisment. Ash strode towards the elevators with confidence, as if she belonged here and knew exactly where she was going. Despite some glances she received from employees and patrons she continued onward; she confidently met the gaze of anyone that stared at her.

Making her way to the elevators, she keyed the thirty-seventh floor and waited patiently as she rocketed up the building. Upon arriving on the thirty-seventh floor, Ash quickly examined the layout of the rooms and made her way down the hallways to her destination. She arrived at a door marked "359" and she unlocked the door with the key card. She carefully opened the door and made her way into the room, letting the door close behind her. She cautiously drew the laiz pistol from her thigh and made her way around the suite, clearing the rooms of any potential threats.

Ash trusted Adiel for the moment...barely. She was not going to take any chance of a teammate of some kind or a 3rd party getting the drop on her. After clearing the suite she located Adiel's bag sitting in the middle of the foyer of the large room. The bag was locked securely, which Ash supposed was for the better so Adiel could not accuse her of rummaging through his precious things. She made her way to the opulent bathroom and searched the cabinets there for fresh linens and some basic medical supplies. She found basic anti-septic spray, a clean towel and a clean white bedsheet. Ash carefully folded the items and placed them into her duffle bag; they should be enough to quickly dress Adiel's wound before they made their way back to his ship.

Ash grabbed the pull handle on the suitcase and pulled it on its wheels behind her. Locking the suite door behind her, she made her way back down the hallway to the elevators and then took the elevator back down to the lobby. She quickly left the lobby before anyone could question her about checking out and then made her way back to where she left Adiel. She dropped off the bag next to him, but she kept her grip on the handle.

"I liberated some supplies to dress your wound," she remarked quietly. "Let me bandage it at least; can't have you bleeding out on the street."

"And don't worry. I am more than capable of carrying your bag for you," she said.

Adiel smiled wryly. He knew exactly what she meant by "liberated". He may not have liked her that much, but it was always nice to be around those who were morally gray. Do-gooders were a bore.

Although he was greatly suspicious of her incessant desire to help him, the throbbing, burning pain in his appendage forced him to swallow his great pride. He motioned for her to follow, and lead her around to the side of the building, where there were less people. He looked away with shameful irritation, crossed his arms, and presented the wing to her.

"Hurry up, we haven't all day." he grumbled lowly, obviously opposed to this, but seeing the clear need to comply. If there was one thing he'd learned, it was that when someone helped you, they always wanted something in return. As he'd said before: there was always a price.

Ash was not a doctor, nor a medic, but she knew enough about gunshot wounds to complete a simple dressing. She followed Adiel around the corner and tossed her duffle bag onto the ground, retrieving her clean bundle of linens. She pulled out the knife from her left boot and began cutting up long strips of cloth from it. She then began to gently dab the towel on both sides of the wound to sop up any blood; thankfully the wound was enflamed and had stopped bleeding for the moment. She knelt back down and grabbed the anti-septic spray.

"This will sting," she said, spraying a liberal amount of anti-septic into the wound. She cut up two clean squares of the towel and then wrapped a strip of bedsheet around them, threading around some of Adiel's feathers to make sure it remained in place. Ash knelt back down to retrieve more strips of cloth, wrapping them around the wound and the entire wing before gently tying them off.

After putting the linens back into her duffle bag, Ash pulled the bag strap back over her head and rose to her feet.

"Alright Adiel, you should be good until we can get on this ship of yours." She rolled up Adiel's bag and presented the handle to him. "Unless you want me to pull it for you, lead the way."

Ash's work did sting, but Adiel's pride wouldn't let him show it. Adiel took his bag and muttered a small thank you, then began walking briskly towards the port.

Once there, the angel walked along the massive line of waiting ships, coming to one in the middle. It was an older cargo vessel that had seen better days. Around the ramp leading to the main doors skulked a multicultural crew, each of them grizzly and mean-looking, and no doubt armed to the teeth under their jackets, and no doubt guarding the likely illegal merchandise the ship held within. Their captain was easily recognizable, standing at the top of the ramp with his arms behind his back. He was a Nepleslian with grey, wavy hair, a full beard, and two cybernetic eyes and arms.

Adiel stopped, and looked at Ash disinterestedly, as if in deep thought. Inside, he was debating whether or not to keep his promise. Bringing her along may usher in unforeseen problems, what with the Blood Wolves possibly hunting her. He could easily have the crew of the ship chase her off, but that didn't sit well with him. He wasn't worried about her squealing. She hated the police just as much, he suspected, but after all of this, he felt strange thinking about just abandoning her. He couldn't understand why, however. He told himself it was because she could still be useful to him, and although a small part of him didn't believe it, that was the explanation he accepted.

At last, he let out a tired sigh. He'd had a long day, and wanted nothing more than to leave this shit hole.

"Wait here." he instructed to Ash. He left his suitcase near her, possibly as reassurance he wasn't going to bail as soon as he got aboard.

The thugs guarding the ship allowed Adiel to pass without a second glance. They knew better than to cross him. The captain cocked an eyebrow questioningly at the angel, and the two shared a whisper, then disappeared into the ship.

For several minutes, they were gone, leaving Ash alone. The crew all looked at her, some without a care, some with more vile intentions, some just merely sizing her up. Before things could get out of hand, Adiel and the captain returned. The captain looked annoyed, and Adiel looked absolutely murderous.

"Come." he said gruffly to Ash as he retrieved his suitcase, obviously in no mood to talk.

"The captain won't take you for free. I won't pay him a cent more than I already have. So, we will be forced to share." Adiel spat back at her. His right eye twitched. He paused for a moment before adding: "Everything."

And by everything, Adiel literally meant everything. Room, food, amenities, the works. If you couldn't tell already, Adiel wasn't much for sharing.

Ash put her hands on her hips and simply stared back at the crew. They were sizing her up, that much was sure. Some were trying to judge her level as a threat; others were just wondering about the size of her bra. After what seemed like much longer than a few minutes, Adiel finally came back down the ramp with the captain. Ash raised an eyebrow at Adiel.

"If you are so upset about having to share, then have the captain put me in the cargo hold for all I care. I would call it a step up from where I lived in Sector 4."

She followed after him, adjusting the shoulder strap on her duffle bag. She poked Adiel in the shoulder.

"Do not worry, Mr. Fancy Bird-man. You will not have to lower yourself to sharing your less than luxury accommodations with a simple woman like me." She glanced at the captain.

"And if it is a matter of payment, I am sure we can work something out. The easy way would be if you accept Kuon Dalri. Otherwise I know my way around machines; could always lend a hand with the ship work," she said with a shrug.

With that Ash turned and followed Adiel aboard the ship.

Adiel glared daggers at Ash and ground his teeth together.

"Bite me, goat-lady." he grunted and walked through the halls until he reached his quarters. It was a simple room, with a queen sized bed, desk, chair, dresser, and bathroom. It would do for now, Adiel supposed. He set hit bag down on the bed, and from it retrieved some clothes, and his shaving kit. He tossed his bullet hole-ridden jacket aside carelessly, and then walked into the bathroom. The door shut, and the sound of a shower turning on could be heard.

Adiel had had a long day, and wanted nothing more than to bathe, have a meal, and sleep.

Outside, the crew began to file back aboard the ship, and each man went about his duties in prepping the ship for launch. A low rumble filled the air as the engines activated.

The captain grunted in response to Ash's statement. Whether that meant "yes" or "no," she was unsure. One of the crew, another Nepleslian, led Ash into the cargo hold and tossed a thin bedroll at her.

"Here. You can have that corner between the crates. Just don't let us catch you getting into any of the cargo or we'll space you." With that the man turned and walked back towards the entrance door.

Surprised she was even given something to sleep on, Ash stretched out the bedroll in a corner next to the bulkhead wall and between two large crates. She removed the shoulder strap for her duffle bag and another small messenger bag and dropped them onto the floor. She stripped off her long coat, revealing the sleeveless turtleneck she wore beneath. A dark tattoo of a howling wolf on her left bicep was now clearly visible as well. Placing her two bags between the bulkhead and the bedroll, Ash folded up her coat to use as a pillow and then she plopped down onto the bedroll. It was not until she laid down that Ash realized how tired she actually was from the days events. With her left hand casually resting on the butt of her laiz pistol, Ash stared at the cavernous ceiling of the cargo bay until her eyes grew heavy. In no time she was fast asleep, grateful that she was finally away from Dawn Station. And hopefully, away from her past.