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  • 📅 February and March 2024 are YE 46.2 in the RP.

RP: The Wayward New Heights (Ep4)

Syaoran

Retired Staff
Public Communication networks
Recently there had been a lot of talk going around about an ad for help that was being circulated. The contents seemed almost too good to be true;

Job Ad said:
The independent freelance ship, Anbruch, is now hiring a crew for a long term contract with the Abwehran Star Empire. Details explained further on location, however applicants are expected to be prepared for long periods on ship without stations.

Benefits include insurance provided by the Abwehran Star Empire; a minimum salary of 200KS a week with plenty of room for raises and bonuses; the opportunity to explore deep uncharted space; the chance to use new technology that you might not get to otherwise.

All applicants should make their way to Rot Mädchen on Waypoint Trade Station in Abwehran space and speak with the proprietress about the job.

There was a real interested in the job, but though many spoke of it over the networks, many were skeptical as to whether or not the ad could be trusted.

Waypoint Trade Station, Rot Mädchen

Despite the disbelief of most, the ad was real, and not only was the proprietress of Rot Mädchen ready to give instructions to any guest, the captain of the Anbruch herself had been present, seated at her usual table with a cup of coffee.

The captain looked to be rather young, maybe just barely twenty, but the faintly glowing eyes, somewhat pale skin, and dark tail made it plain that the woman was Abwehran, a Nacht Bewohner with a rather rare mutation to be exact. That meant that her looking just barely 20 put her somewhere between her 12th and 14th Abwehran year, or in her 40s by the YE calendar. It was something thing that was always hard to adjust to when coming in contact with Abwehrans, them being more than twice the age that they look.

She was there to see if she could get her hands on any promising crew members. The crew of the Anbruch frequently changed and it was between crews right now, there wasn’t a sizable enough crew for the contract that she had so she waited.
 
Waypoint Trade Station

"...As I said before, Ms. Dunst," Adiel muttered quietly while scrolling through a spreadsheet on his datapad. He was seated next to Tanja. He was a newer member of the crew, and consequentially one of the few that had stuck around since the last outing. "No one is responding to the flyer. It should have been more modest in its promises. Speaking from experience, it looks like a scam used by slavers to gain fresh inventory; drawing in all of the bright-eyed, healthy and hard-working youth who wish to seek adventure."

Ever the ray of sunshine, the Elysian was dressed in stark contrast to the other spacers in the room with a finely pressed grey suit and navy dress shirt, as well as a black belt and shoes made from the finest leathers. He looked like the quintessential business bird. And, that's kind of what he was. He was a skilled and ruthless negotiator, which was why he'd been hired in the first place. Not to mention, he was reasonably skilled with money, a great asset to have around for the aspiring entrepreneur.

Oh, and also the fact that he could zap a moving target at four hundred yards with a rifle.

"Perhaps we should invest in a marketing agency." he suggested, taking a sip of his...

Eugh, he didn't feel as if whatever was in this cup had the right to be called "coffee".
 
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It was at this point that another member of the crew, the mechanic Analiese, walked up. She was in her usual attire of overalls and boots. On her back was the only enhancement that the Nepleslian had created, her small bot called Tool Box. Not being able to be more creative than that, she just calls it TB and only activates the bot when needed for repairs on the ship. Though she looked nervous as she scanned the area, she wasn't quite the scared rabbit she was when she first joined up with Tanja.

"Any luck so far?" She asked softly to the two sitting at the table. She kept most of her focus on them, though she still kept an eye out as she walked behind to lean against the wall. She didn't want to be too exposed.
 
Waypoint Trade Station
Rot Mädchen


A rolling noise of wheels against the front entrance's red mat could be heard as Saku Hana made her way into the bar and past the foyer. She looked around, once inside, with her lips pursed and blue eyes wandering around the Rot Mädchen, keenly trying to distinguish the proprietress from the rest of those in the room.

She was dressed in a pink dress that had a white apron along the front of it that connected in an X behind her back, complete with a white crinoline petticoat peeking out from underneath the bottom of the pastel pink dress. She wore high socks with their own frills at the tops and shiny red mary jane pumps. She had arrived on Waypoint Trade Station with her four suitcases in tow and not much else. Balanced on top of one another, only two of them touched the ground by way of their rolling wheels and inside of them were countless dresses, shoes, hair accessories, a chrome egg or three, and other effeminate possessions.

Her NH-29 feline ears flicked in the din of the room as she tried to pick up the conversations going on. She looked to the bartender and walked forward, heels clicking against the mahogany wood-looking flooring.

"Maybe a lil red for me?" Saku Hana said in a soft, lilting voice to the bartender, asking for the drink made of cola, cherries, and wine sherbet. "And, where can I find the proprietress? I'm asking about a job offer for the Anbruch."
 
Rot Mädchen

The door swung open and a buxom Nepleslian redhead with shoulder length hair in khaki cargo pants and a t-shirt sashayed into the establishment. An NSMC tattoo on her bicep and the tags hanging between her breasts revealed her military background. She carried a duffel bag over her shoulder and pulled a leather suitcase with wheels.

Her painted red lips turned up in a grin. "I like this place already." Brigid declared as she walked over to the bar. She whistled appreciatively at the redhead that she thought had to be the proprietess. To the bartender, she said, "Can I get a Red Maiden?"

While she waited, her baby blue eyes scanned the room, settling on the Neko. "Well, aren't you an adorable little kitten. You here for the job on the Anbruch?" She asked conversationally. "I wasn't sure about this. Last time I got my salary from a government I came to regret it, but I thought maybe a freelance ship would be different. Funky City was getting old anyway."
 
Rot Mädchen

"Well hello there," Hana said with a happy smile. If the Nepleslian woman came any closer, she would be able to notice the strong smell of spiced vanilla wafting off of the Neko, a smell she'd likely get to know very well if the job opening was indeed open to the likes of them.

"I'm Hana. I'm indeed here for the job on the Anbruch. What is Funky City like?" She had heard stories, but hadn't the slightest clue if she would like guns as much as this woman likely did. As an afterthought, she asked, "What is your name, lovely dove?"
 
Rot Mäadchen

Tanja smiled softly at seeing Adiel's expression after sipping the coffee. "She makes a working man's cup, it might be a bit coarse." She then looked between the two crew mates with her and drank some of of own coffee. "I've had a few interested, but they all came looking for an easy job. If they can see that ad, still show up, and still be on guard, they're the kind of person I want in the crew."

As people walked through the door, the captain quickly appraised them, true she was looking for prospects, but it was mostly habit to check everyone that entered so she could leave before trouble started. Thankfully Rot Mädchen was Nacht Bewohner friendly and used special lighting that reduced strain on their eyes, so she could actually appraise them without need for her goggles. Out of the few that entered she spotted two at the bar that looked a bit interesting. One was a Nekovalkyrja that had too much luggage to bring to a restaurant if she was on vacation, and the other rather obviously a former or active Nepleslian Marine.

"I think we have some more prospects." Tanja spoke softly and turned her attention to the two.

At the bar, a woman with tan skin and long vibrant red hair was there to serve them. She was already tall, but she wore heels any, and combined with a short red dress, her figure was apparent and she drew quite a bit of attention from man and woman alike. She was elegant when making the drinks, flowing through well practiced motions and carefully placing them down in front of the customers with hardly a sound, quite a difference from a lot of Nepleslian bars.

Her emerald green eyes brightened with excitement as she was questioned about the proprietress. "Oh you're looking for our beautiful owner? She's right over there." Though she said that, her hands did not gesture, rather her hair moved, and pointed to herself. A smile drew across her face as she waited a beat for their reactions. "You two are here for the job? Tanja would be happy to hear that. She puts on a captain's face, but she never likes it when the crew starts leaving."
 
Rot Mädchen

"I rescind my earlier remarks. The flyer is working splendidly." Adiel chuckled as a Yamataian girly-girl and a well-endowed Nepleslian bombshell walked in. It was easy to see why the latter was here. The tattoo was unmistakable. Medic or security, obviously. But the neko was a little confusing. Small, dainty, with impractical clothing abound, the way she handled herself did not denote any previous military experience. And considering that nekos were born into the military, that struck him as odd. He'd heard through the grapevine once that the Ikemen had been acquiring some uninhabited bodies to sell...

Whatever conclusions he'd come to from those observations, he kept silent. Not like it mattered, anyhow. But she was probably a cook, or a computer specialist. Something that wasn't too physically demanding or dirty, like being a mechanic.

Not to mention, they already had a mechanic.

"Good morning, Analiese," Adiel greeted with the closest thing he could muster to a genuinely friendly smile. He held out the cup he wasn't going to finish even upon threat of death, offering it to the small, rather mousy girl. "Would you care for some coffee?"
 
Rot Mäadchen

Brigid smiled at the cute Neko. "What is Funky City like? Hmm," she replied, considering how exactly to describe it to someone that had never been there. "In terms of size, massive. It's a city that spans a whole continent. I would say that it might even be considered several cities stuffed into one place. You'll find brothels next to bakeries, across the street from factories and apartment buildings."

A pause as she took a breath. "Some sections, well... The easiest way to explain it is organized chaos. There are wars in the streets between gangs and the police. There's a place called the Tee that some people used to call the Grinder a while back. It was a war zone for years. Some business magnate came in and cleaned the place up and now it's one of the safest places on Nepleslia if you can afford to live there."

She stopped to see if the Neko was listening. There was something off about this one, but she chalked it up to cultural differences. She finally answered the other question. "I'm Brigid Piper, by the way. Hoping to be the ship's Doctor." The woman at the bar spoke and she turned to see her hair moving by itself. She leaned forward, enthralled by the performance as well as the length of the woman's dress. How had she not noticed her before?

"You are beautiful." She breathed. Rarely was she stunned by another woman's beauty, but this lady had it all. Part of her was jealous, the rest of her just wanted to jump across the bar right now. She stood up straight and composed herself, a smile returning to her face. "I love your hair," Brigid said, taking a sip of the cocktail she almost hadn't noticed the woman set in front of her.

"How do you do it?" She asked curiously. "It's real hair, I'm sure of that." Her fingers tapped the bar several times. "I'll figure it out, don't tell me. I'd love to talk to you all night, but you're right. Can you point me to the captain? Don't want to keep her waiting."
 
Rot Mäadchen

"I'll be sure not to leave, then, if that makes her less than happy. I'll go to talk to her, now. Would you mind having someone bring my drink to the table?" Saku Hana asked the proprietress.

The Neko trotted over to the table and thrust out a hand to try toshake the captain's with no explanation or words to accompany the action. She merely smiled, pink lips pressed against on another as her other hand steadied both suitcases.
 
Rot Mäadchen

Veronica chuckled a little at Brigid's reaction. "Yep, it's all real." She continued to smile as she finished the two drinks, placing Brigid's in front of her. "As for the captain, she is over there." Her hair pointed the direction once more, and before she knew it, Hana was already on her way towards Tanja. So Veronica decided to take the drink over to Hana, motioning Brigid to follow.

At the table, Tanja smiled at Adiel's retraction. "You have to let things play out for a bit some times." She then turned her attention to those who approached. She stood and shook Hana's hand when she offered. Her grip was firm and her hand a bit rough, she obviously used her hands quite a bit in her line of work so of course they weren't delicate.

"It seems you'd like to join? I'm Tanja Dunst, captain of the Anbruch. These are my crew mates, Adiel and Analiese." She gestured to each as she mentioned their names, and then made her way to shake Brigid's hand, giving her a smile as well. "So what has you two coming to someone like me for work?"

As Tanja spoke, Veronica slipped by and placed Hana's drink on the table in front of her. "Enjoy."
 
Analiese took the coffee that was offered and put in a lot of sugar and creamer. She smiled a bit in return and sipped at the tepid drink, wincing at the taste, for it was still not palatable. She kept quiet as she watched the others, frowning as there seemed to be more females than males...which was rather odd. With a small shrug, she offered the others a small smile before motioning to Veronica. She quietly asks, "Could you get me some tea please?"
 
Rot Mädchen

Brigid grabbed her drink and followed Veronica, resisting the urge to grab her butt. She smiled at Tanja and shook her hand when it was offered. "Doctor Brigid Piper." She said, giving Adiel and Analiese each a wink. "There isn't one reason. Funky City isn't exciting enough for me, got tired of staying in one place, want to discover something new... all of the above."

The Nepleslian noticed the way she had phrased the question. She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Wonder what she means by someone like her, she thought.
 
Rot Mädchen

"I'm here to pay for he things I like most in life," Saku Hana said with a smile.

If the transformed Neko were being honest, she would realize her latest life choices had spiraled out of control to this point and the cause could only be seen as her parent's death, but she was not ever very honest with herself and didn't intend to begin being so. Because of her lack of self-awareness, she believed she was being honest, but one could tell there was something more by the way her lip twitched. She felt the unwarranted action and looked down, at her drink, then lifted it and sipped.

With a brighter smile than the one she bore before, she said, "What a great drink!"
 
Rot Mädchen

Adiel simply sat back, allowing the conversation to flow, as there was not much he had to say. Instead, he observed and studied the new arrivals like the shady bird he was. Sometimes, he found that asking direct questions was ineffective at learning about a person's true colors.

The doctor was a fairly simple read. Obviously a nympho, and one that was unconcerned with the gender of the person she slept with. Happy-go-lucky as far as he could tell. She had no other reason to join the expedition because she was bored. With a small grin, he came to the conclusion that she would most certainly alleviate the boredom of weeks out in the frontier.

The neko, Saku, however, was more complex, and thus more frustrating. She was hiding something. It was barely noticeable, yet he'd caught it. Averted eyes, a small twitch of the lips, followed by an immediate change of subject. It caused the Elysian a moment of panic. Was she one of the dreaded ninja of Yamatai? Had they decided to cease their attempts to prosecute him legally, and simply wipe him from existence?! Addaiel was a decent combatant, yet he knew he would not stand a chance against a trained killer. To calm himself, he discreetly felt the grips of his .45 beneath his jacket.

Once his heart slowed, he came to the conclusion that an assassin would not slip in their facade so sloppily. He would never have deduced it as he'd done so now. No, the girl was no killer. But she was most definitely a lie; one that he intended to peel back, layer by layer, until he found the truth.

"Tell me," he said to Saku, speaking up after several minutes of silence. "Being a neko, you must have some form of combat training, yes? I would like to know how you would fair should we encounter a hostile environment."
 
Rot Mädchen

Saku didn't like to be questioned by someone like this when it was about something she felt slightly embarrassed by. She wanted to be able to help the crew of the Wayward as best she could and if she couldn't do so without combat experience or training, that would be a problem. She moved her lower jaw one way and another while keeping the rest of her head still and then looked down, away from the Elysian.

After a moment of thought, she raised her eyes, "I am a Neko, I don't think my combat abilities are to be questioned. I can carry 550 pounds and I can punch a hole in anyone's skull, sternum, or otherwise. I have nanomachines that saturate my bloodstream, making physical trauma something I can only fathom becoming a threat to my body." She rephrased what she had said after realizing she had implied there was a disconnect between herself and her body, "To me. No environment can be more hostile than I myself am."
 
Rot Mäadchen

"Tea? Of course." Veronica spoke to Analiese and then made her way off to the counter to pour a cup of pre-brewed tea. The tea was nothing exotic though, unfortunately the plants Abwehrans use were poisonous to most humanoids, so she had to stick to Yamataian style teas, which were widely available. The redhead came back soon after with the cup and smiled to Analiese, the tea was being kept hot and enclosed to the aroma was still strong. "Here you go, one hot cup of tea."

Tanja chuckled a bit at Brigid's response, it wasn't too far from her own reasons of stepping out into space. "I can agree with that. Space is too big to stay in one place your whole life."

While things went smoothly with Brigid, Hana's side was not going as well, Tanja could feel the unease from Hana, and even Adiel's fight or flight reflexes trigger for a moment. Was it because they were 'cat' and 'bird', or did they have some history together? Either way the tension was clear to an Abwehran's empathy, so the captain decided to cut in and clear the air some.

The woman moved over and placed her hand on Hana's shoulders softly. "Nothing wrong with wanting to get rich, especially off hard work." She glanced back at Adiel a moment and then back to Hana as she removed her hand. "I know civilians don't carry guns as frequently in Yamatai as in Nepleslia. It's probably been a while since you've had to carry one. We keep some spare on the ship so how about a refresher course?" Had she seen through Hana's fibs, or was she just being friendly? It was hard to tell with Tanja.
 
Rot Mädchen

Adiel retreated once his captain cut in. Not that he'd minded, as he'd already managed to peel back a layer. He smiled slightly and interlaced his fingers.

"Of course, Ms. Dunst." said the bird quietly before he stood and moved for the bar. He came back with a simple scotch on the rocks. He gave one last glance at Hana before focussing on his drink.

'Interesting...'
 
Rot Mädchen

The Nepleslian looked at the Neko curiously. She noticed the way Hana seemed to skirt the question. Her eyebrow raised again, and she took a sip of her drink. "I have seen some combat. If you need security I can do that too." Brigid said, choosing to ignore the tense moment. She didn't need to know about the girl's past to keep her body functional. If she wanted to share more she would.

Her eyes scanned Tanja, admiring her figure. She couldn't tell how old the woman was. Abwehrans can be tricky. Hmm, that tail could be useful, she thought, a smirk touching her full lips. She knew most people would say that thinking about her new boss that way was probably not a good idea. To her everyone was fair game as long as nobody got attached.
 
Ana took the tea with a smile and sipped at it as she listened to the others. She wasn't a fighter herself...at least not to most standards. She could understand the hesitation of the Neko. Licking her lips, she looked around nervously to see if any others were interested in joining the party. She moved to sit near Adiel and whispered to him, 'Everything okay?"
 
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