RP: OIF Atuan III [OIF Atuan III] (prologue) Once more, with even more feeling!

[Kai]

Arah Tenner opened the door to the Atuan's hangar. She hadn't been this way in over two years, and last time she had, she was sure the ship would never sail the stars again. However, it seemed fate would call her back to the Atuan once more, but this time, they were better prepared, and they new what they were doing.

She stood, duffel bag slung lazily over her shoulder, and took in the sight of the ship. Two hundred meters of experimental warship. It was at once familiar and jarringly different, though Arah betrayed no emotion as she studied its sleek profile. The battle damage had all been erased. The ship was a different color, having been repainted in a more subdued hue. The back of the ship, previously just a bulkhead, had been transformed into a larger boarding ramp. The front of the belly had been smoothed out, the old ramp replaced by a Gauss-propelled Mecha catapult. The ship's defenses, too, were more impressive than before, small anti-armor flak guns dotting about, a new set of thorns to protect the fragile contents of the ship.

After a few minutes, the Brunette walked the remaining distance to the Atuan, to her ship. Ged had been installed earlier that very day, and a few engineers and technicians were still around, finishing the final preparations. Some of the auxiliary crew had arrived already, and the ship was going through its final checks. All that was left, was them.

The pilots. Those crazy bastards that flew mecha into space, into ground combat, into enemy fire. Several tons of articulated metal and systems fighting desperately for something. Was it fame? Glory? Was it for some code of honor? A sense of Duty to origin, perhaps? Maybe they simply flew for their lives, as they didn't know what else to do. Whatever it was, the frame pilots were the heart and soul of Arah's ship. They gave it life, they gave it purpose.

And they annoyed the hell out of her. Of course, they would never know, as Arah carried out her duties with nary a complaint or a comment. it was not her way. No, she simply bid her time away thinking of how best to use these assets given her to do the job that had been assigned her.

She had hoped they were ready. The new pirates were not like HiGa had been. A bunch of bumbling fools fighting with outdated technology, without any true purpose. Arah had fought their new foe. These Pirates, the 'Rahm' Pirates as they were known, had better frames, better pilots, better tactics. They were leagues beyond the drivel that had faced them before. And despite all the new equipment, despite the changes to the Ship, Arah wondered if they would be limping home again after this mission, if they returned at all.

As Arah arrived on the bridge, she looked over the familiar stations, regarding them with an unenthused eye. Would they make it? Time would tell, she supposed.

 

[Luca]

ELSEWHERE...

"Ae ye won't get me nae down yet!" A scottish man was sitting in a sound booth with earphones on, a large beard, and his nose over a pop cover to a microphone. He was putting his all into the lines for the Origin-made Ori-V-Frame. "Fer one simple reason!" He and the other voice actors were watching a screen that had an animatic of the next episode and their lines in subtitles below, as well as a script. Taela's line was next.

". . . Cut!" the neko grumbled, banging her head against a nearby wall, at risk to nothing but herself and the pair of headphones that adorned her catlike ears. "I can't take any more of this, goddamnit! I need a break!"

Lucien looked at his companion and tilted his head. Though the only thing they really agreed on was that violence was a whole lot of fun, they hadn't experienced it in a long time since the Kensuke incident. He sighed and took his headphones off, exiting the sound booth and looking at Taela. "Ye had a break half 'n hour ago!"

"Yeah, and it wasn't nearly long enough for me to put up with this. . . augh, this crap! Who WRITES this garbage?" Taela snarled, launching on another one of her weekly tirades. They seemed almost commonplace, even more so after her 'vacation' away from Origin. "I didn't even want a stand-in for my character, but they went ahead and wrote one!"

Lucien shrugged and rolled his blue eyes. He had some cosmetics done to his eyes. "Well y'coulda read yer contract. Tho' the frame team's dead we still got us some employment," he then shrugged incredulously at the smaller, fiestier Neko, "'sides, this's voice actin', so much easier than doin' Super Sentai rubbish," for such a large and masculine man, his dismissive handwave was surprisingly deft.

"Oh, that's right, you were already an actor. . . but goddamnit, why the hell did they make my stand-in at all? She's just a Nepleslian in Yamataian's clothing! Look at all the goddamn lasers and missiles on her stupid mech!" She spat, refraining from punching the wall.

Lucien sighed. "T' be fair ye weren't all that keen on th' whole 'self preservation' thing back when we wos fighting!"

"Can it, you. I was more than a little stressed from the constant shitstorm we had to face." Lucien made that dismissive wave again.

"Y'think you're the only one that felt stressed?" The other voice actors had started staring at the two, exchanging worried glances. This wasn't the first time the two's tempers had started flaring up. After all, the voice actors were just actors. These people were the Frame Test Team, possibly some of the best Frame pilots in the known universe. "All've our futures were at stake!"

"Every single goddamn time we went into combat, it was-"

Suddenly, without warning, and more loudly than usual, Lucien and Taela's communicators began alerting them to a message they both had incoming. the devices buzzed and vibrated, lighting up and making incessant noises which informed the duo that this was something more important than a normal notice.

The both of them paused. Lucien prodded himself and pulled his communicator out of his pocket with a raised eyebrow and a lowering temper. "Wozis...?"

Taela snatched hers up from her belt like a child grabbing a candy from a parent they're mad at, activating the display.

Up popped urgent messages from Personnel Management. They had new orders. They read:

From: Origin Personnel Management

Re: new assignment

You have been selected by your superiors to take part in a third round of Frame tests, this time with the new M3 frames. Please report Immediately to the OIF Atuan III for further assignment and instructions.

". . . you have GOT to be kidding me."
Taela looked up to see Lucien's eyes boggling out of his skull from beneath his brow. Normally, you'd only see the brow, his cheekbones, beard and a nose, but now his eyes were visible. This was big news.

"Ae..." he said as he sent an automated reply back to management. "So, 'bout that contract."

"Anything's better than doing lazy people work. . ." she sighed, pressing a button on her own device before stuffing it back onto her belt. Taela walked to the door of the sound booth, gesturing for Lucien to follow.

"Les' do it." He walked through the sound booth with a spring in his step unseen since the days of old. One of the other voice actors protested meekly to the both of them leaving and Lucien simply replied: "We're gettin' real, jus' get our stand-ins and say our characters have a cold!"

"Should throw a wrench in those stupid writer's works!" Taela growled with a grin. A grin-growl. A growlin. A grinowl?

She'd have to work on that.

-

ATUAN III

Two figures were walking towards the Atuan III. Duffel bags in one hand, helmets curled around the other, and wearing spiffy new Pilot Suits. "Ain't she beautiful?" Lucien said as he walked up the loading ramp.

"Looks a damn sight better than the II. . . and don't get me started on the I," the cat replied, tugging at the latexy fabric of her suit with a free hand. "And what the hell was that on the front of the ship? It was like a loading ramp. . . but not a loading ramp."

"Dunnae," Lucien said as he walked through the hangar and looked at the Frames on offer. These were definitely newer models. The one that was meant for Lucien had a black, gold and red colour scheme, as requested in the order.

Of course, Taela's was as Star Army to be expected, suspiciously like her animation counterpart.

"Ah, yes, the national colours," she said, eying the frame's dark blue panelling and occasional hinomaru sketches.

Lucien grinned as they continued heading towards the bridge. "So ya did have a soft spot fer the mech they designed fer ya."

"I won't lie," the neko said, walking into an elevator, "I did like the fact that the tail turned into a sword."

"That wos badass," the giant scotsman agreed.

While the next area loaded, the duo in the elevator stood in silence, listening to the generic elevator music quietly. After a minute of waiting, they finally made it to the bridge hallway.

Taela took the lead, lightly jogging down the hall. "Hurry up, Lucien! I wanna see the bored look on Arah's face when she tells us we're the first to arrive!"

"Me too."

When the Duo arrived at the bridge, the door opened to reveal a disappointing sight, at least for Taela. Arah was talking to someone else- Who was wearing the new Pilot suit as well. It was a redheaded girl, and judging by the mechanical hand and leg, and the spiraling, almost fluorescent tattoos coming up her neck from below her collar, she was a freespacer.

"Ah, so you two have arrived. Meet your new subordinate- Mecholic Nora One-Three." Arah informed them dryly, waving off the returning pilots and leaving them to meet the newcomer as the captain went about other business.

The Freespacer, Nora-One-Three, turned around to face Taela and Lucien, and they could see excitement on her face, red eyes glowing as if they were going to burst from her skull with enthusiasm. "HI!" The 'Spacer greeted them eagerly, bounding over and shaking both heir hands simultaneously, and rather energetically. "I'm Nora, But you already knew that, but oh well. Hi!"

Somehow, if it was possible, the excited Deoradh grew even more excited as she realized just who the two people she was shaking hands with were. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! This is, perhaps, no, definitely THE SHINIEST MOMENT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!" She stopped shaking their hands suddenly, and looked at her hands, as if they had just done something horrifying, or perhaps incredibly unbelievable.

"Oh god she's like (A)sync and Yoshiko had a cyberbaby," Taela said to Lucien, widening her eyes. He nodded stiffly beside her, wide smile concealed by his beard. It was nice to know there were such enthusiastic fans. Lucien guessed that he would miss the convention attendances and poster signings. Taela knew she wouldn't.

"Pleased t' meet ya," he said as he looked over to Arah, clearing his throat and trying to be businesslike. "ETA on the others? Ooo' else got the call?"

Nora seemed to continue to be stunned by what was going on, or perhaps her mindware was having a bit of a meltdown, overflowing as it was with excitement and memories of every single episode of Ori-V-frame, as well as several other Mecha anime. She began to giggle quietly to herself as she simply stared into space, seemingly no longer able to focus.

Arah made her way over, and crossed her arms, looking at the three pilots in front of her. "She'll calm down in a minute, don't worry. As for others, Mark and Victoria have been called, and there are several other new pilots joining us. Kelly is now your boss, so he's stuck in the office, and Yoshiko is his secratary. Shinji and Meena opted to remain at the office as well."

"Wait, boss? Like, heading Origin Armour Works?" the neko confusedly asked.

Arah lazily turned her attention toward Taela as she asked what was apparently a dumb question. "Of course. He has taken Kensuke's spot and now oversees the entire Mecha program. The conventional armour program has its own overseer, as well."

Taela sighed, "Why didn't anybody tell me- wait, don't answer that."

"Probably doin' a better job than Kenny tho'," he rolled his shoulders and cricked his neck as he recalled the incident, "but does this mean we cannae have drinks t'gether nae more?"

Arah shrugged, probably one of the most emotive things she was wont to do with any kind of regularity. "He is your friend. I assume you will be able to find time to have a drink when in port." Lucien nodded and sighed. He hadn't heard from his friend since the Kenny incident.

 

[Gwathdraug]

The door to the bridge slid open once more. A short figure – almost exactly the same height as Taela – clad in the bulky form of a tan and white Origin Armoured Pilot Suit filled the space where the metal had slid aside. The short black wings of an Elysian Plebeian stretched out from two slots on the back of the modified and well worn suit.


Thalath Zaim brought up a gloved fist and rapped it in a rapid metallic series of thracks against the door frame while she pulled off her helmet off with her other hand. Flicking the brown tail of hair that was now free back behind her shoulder the Elysian fixed her eyes on Arah and inclined her head towards the other woman.


“Commander Tenner.” Thalath said, her voice was slightly hoarse but was kept controlled and steady. Switching her eyes to the others in the room Thalath recognized Lucien and Taela from their earlier high-profile careers as pilots for Origin. “Sergeant McGarland.” The Elysian nodded again and then simply paused and nodded silently at Nora before moving on to Sergeant Kaila.


Thalath pressed her lips together firmly and stared at Taela for a few moments longer than the others before bowing her head. “Neko-san.”


Finally stepping into the room after addressing everyone the Elysian moved away from the door and looked towards Arah again. This time before speaking Thalath did a full bow with her wings extended in respect and helmet held awkwardly at her side. “Commander, Intern Zaim reporting as requesting.”


Coming out of the bow Thalath held herself ramrod straight and even through the bulk of her pilot suit the fatigue induced tenseness of her body could be seen. “I have regret if I am later than I should be responding to your orders but one of the pilots from my former section called in sick and I took a second shift in order to lessen the group's load.”

 

[Straken]

Doran the wandering Irishman stopped just shy of boarding the Atuan III as he took a moment to appreciate the make of vessel; the low whistle emanating from his mouth hinting at him being impressed. Though impressed was a state of being that the man was used to exhibiting by now, not so much because he was easily impressed so much as, to him, most everything was honestly impressive. With his left hand gripping his duffel bag over his shoulder he brought his free hand up to run his fingers through his shaggy hair before continuing inside. He whistled about four more times once on board.

After a brief personal tour of the Atuan III, that most definitely wasn't him wandering around wondering where the bridge was, Doran arrived at the door to the bridge and wasted little time heading on inside with a jaunty stride. Giving a few rhythmic knocks on the frame as he passed, and after seeing others ahead of him side stepped around to an open space. Finding a spot that looked to be a fairly comfortable one, Doran maintained his relaxed posture, tucked his left thumb into the belt of his uniform, and gave a quick mock salute with his other free hand.

"H'lo, Commander. Corporal Haverthorn reportin' in," Doran said, his husky voice sounding rather singsong-y. "Sorry if'm a li'l late, I was, uh, taking a quick orientation walk around the new lass."

 

[Kai]

Arah idly watched as two more new crew members came in and greeted those present, nodding in response to Thalath's greeting. "Miss Zaim, Please recall that you have been transferred to Private now, and are no longer an Intern," the brunette pointed out, before responding to Doran. "You are not late, nor are you early. You have arrived precisely within the allotted bracket of time."

Nora One-Three still seemed to be in overload mode, but after a few moments she realized there were new people on the bridge, and also that the bridge was starting to seem crowded. She snapped out of her reverie, wiping a tiny bit of drool from the corner of her mouth, before fully noticing those whom had just arrived. "Oh! Hello! I am Mecholic Nora One-Three. Pleased to meet you!" She held out both of her hands, the mechanical one to Doran and the Fleshy one to Thalath.

 

[Straken]

"Right on time, aye? Well, color me lucky then," Doran said as he gave a rather exaggerated sigh of relief, not that he was in anyway actually worried to begin with. He was however relieved to find that the Commander did not take offense to his lack of decorum. Which made some sense as he quickly inspected the others present, since they appeared to not exactly be standing at full attention either; well, most of the at least.

Then suddenly, ho boy, someone who had some energy, which was always refreshing to see on the bridge of a starship. "Nora huh? Well, it's a right pleasure meetin' ya, Ms. One-Three," Doran responded, matching her exuberance before firmly grabbing her extended hand and shaking it. "Good to see someone else witha bit o' energy."

 

[Gwathdraug]

“Of course.” Thalath responded towards Arah's reminder. Despite what she had said the Elysian's tone of voice conveyed that she wasn't completely in agreeance with the Commander's words.


Thalath nodded to Doran as he came in, but said nothing to the man as he passed since he was not anyone she recognized. When Nora came forward and greeting them both and offered her hands the Elysian walked closer towards other two as to not attempt and tear the eager Freespacer apart.


Pulling off one of her gloves as she moved Thalath smoothly spit in her palm to match the drool lining the hand that had been offered to her and then shook the red-haired girl's hand with a firm grasp. “Thalath Zaim, Plebeian, Mecholic Nora One-Three. I hope we will create fine work while in cooperation with each other.”

 

[Kai]

Nora vigorously shook Doran and Thalath's hands, seemingly unperturbed by the spit on Thalath's hand, though she did look at it with a bit of curiousity for a moment before shrugging it off. Obviously it was some cultural thing the Freespacer was unaware of. She seemed to bemore than happy to display her energy by continuing to shake hands entirely too long, before she started speaking.

"Well of course I have plenty of energy! I've got some radioactive rods on my necklace, though they made me cover it with a lead plate for some reason. it's kinda heavy but I don't mind, it keeps the Lichens healthy!" After what was probably three times longer than either Thalath or Doran had ever shaken hands with anyone, the Freespacer finally stopped. She then pointed at Doran and Thalath, with her Mechanical and natural hands respectively. "So you're Doran and Thalath! It's great to meet ya! Hopefully we can have a good time together on the ship!"

She then noticed that the two other new crew members, and in fact the two older crew members still had their bags in hand. "Oh! We should all probably find bunkrooms! I've already set up in one. Man, they are big! way bigger than the cubicles I used to sleep in on my mothership. These things have, like, tons of room. Though, I guess, they aren't as big as a house. Houses are big. Don't you think so?" Nora seemed to stop, hanging on to the silence and waiting for some kind of answer. She grinned merrily, walking past the two and out the door, pointing them toward the crew cabins.


"Well," Arah suddenly piped up, addressing the four still on the Bridge. "She is correct. you should all claim a cabin before all the good ones are taken. It is only a matter of time, as the rest of the crew is arriving today, as well."

 

[Straken]

The jovial Irishman had no qualms shaking hands for so long, although Doran was taken aback for a moment at the mention of radioactivity. Then once the handshake was over he rubbed his own hand while noting that Nora had quite a grip, and then, running on an impressive personal tempo, she transitioned rapidly from greetings to claiming rooms. Something that Doran took to heart, having spent to many unpleasant voyages with undesirable bunkmates.

"A very good point," Doran agreed as he started to scan the bridge, wondering at what point he had become separated from his duffel bag. Growling lightly, he concluded that it must have been, well, somewhere on the Atuan; at least he was pretty sure it was, and boy it better have been. "Ah... am going to take one last quick walk around the ship. Ya know, make sure Ah have my, uh, bearings and all tha'."

That said, Doran moved at a brisk pace to the door, and once out of the bridge increased his speed as he wanted to quickly find his duffel; worried ever so slightly about the condition of its contents.

 

[Luca]

Lucien wondered whether the Atuan III was a retrofit, a reconstruction, or a completely new beast, and after giving Arah a nod of respect and a soft-spoken, "Ta," he moved off of the bridge with his duffel bag and a head full of questions. He navigated the semi-familiar corridors, having to pause when a change or obstruction blocked his way to the quarters. And he came to rest in doorway of the Cabin he always called home back on the Atuan II.

He took a step in and looked around solemnly at the sparse accommodations. He was immediately reminded of the times he'd call Kelly over during downtime to watch something, drink a few and laugh together all evening. Those were good times. He saw the two standard-issue double beds, a pair of dressers and chair with a desk. He threw the duffel onto the bed that was always his. He then unzipped it and started inspecting his side of the room. The dresser had plenty of room for the spare uniforms, civvies clothing and piloting suit.

And of course, the good stuff. His personal reserve. He stashed that behind the towels in the dresser while the room was unoccupied. He then folded up the empty duffel bag and put it in the dresser and laid down on the bed in his pilot suit to see if the beds had changed at all.

And the grin on his face confirmed that some things should just never change.

 

[Moogle]

Once greetings were in hand, Taela greeted the two newbies with a quiet greetings, keeping her thoughts to herself for the time being. On the urge to dismiss by Nora, she didn't bother moving from the spot, instead connecting directly to the Atuan and registering her old room back under her own name. With any luck, nobody would think to move in with her.

She did like her personal space, after all. For now, there was an elephant in the room that needed to be addressed before she could bring herself any further.

One hand lifted to flick her long hair off of her shoulder. The neko's glaring eyes locked with Arah's bored ones.

"What the hell took so long?" Taela asked, pointing an accusatory finger at her superior. Her eybrows furrowed in buried rage. "Three. Goddamn. Years. And don't give me that 'reconstruction' bullcrap. Yamatai prime got hit by NMX and it only took a few months before things were just peachy again! You can't just tell me that it took you guys three years to get your act together!"

It was like the Elysian wasn't even in the room.

 

[Gwathdraug]

Disengaging her hand from the shake that Nora seemed happy to keep going forever Thalath wiped the spit off her hand on the leg of her pilot's suit and then fit the glove she had removed firmly back into place.


“I would rather hope that the rooms have not become oversized with the refit this ship went through.” Thalath responded blandly to the Freespacer's barrage of statements and questions as the red haired girl practically zoomed out of the room while miming a set of directions.


Watching Doran leave rather awkwardly and Lucien follow his own way out with rather more confidence the Plebeian nodded quietly to both just before they left the room. Thalath took a few steps to follow the rest of the group out but stopped and set her mouth into a firm line as Taela exploded at their commander.


The Elysian twitched and clenched her fists, but otherwise stayed quiet – while the Neko was quite out of line addressing someone of higher station as she was it would be even more so of a problem if someone at the bottom of the stretch attempted to tell her so.


Swallowing her rising anger Thalath instead nodded curtly to Arah and in a low tone told the Commander that she would be finding her bunk before trotting out of the room.


Walking quickly through the hallway the Elysian reached the the quarters that the other pilots seemed to be using. Glancing at a couple of empty rooms and shaking her head at them since there was no telling who else could end up assigned to the space.


Catching sight of Lucien laying down on a bed in one of the rooms Thalath paused before walking up to and standing under the doorway. Knocking her fist against the door frame the Elysian waited a second before speaking up.


“Sergeant McGarland, has another of the crew already laid claim to your adjoining bunk?”

 

[Luca]

Lucien was staring absently into the standard issue ceiling when the Elysian walked in. He leaned up and watched her enter the room. "Nae, and if ya want I ain't gonna stop ya. There's usually not 'nuff of us to require bunkin' up. If ye find an empty room Thalath," he shrugged as his voice was very matter of fact and casual, lying up on the bed with one leg crossed over the other. He didn't even address the Elysian by her name or rank, talking to them like a person rather than personnel, "jus' take it. Nae worries."

He tilted his head a little and pursed his lips wryly after the echoes of the argument reached his ears. "Oh, 'n lemme guess. Taela snapped a' Tenner, didn' she?" guessing it so as though it was just another fact of life. He'd been voice acting with Taela for long enough that he had a good idea of her explosive personality.

 

[Gwathdraug]

Thalath walked into the room and sat herself down lightly on the other bunk. “If it would not bother you I would prefer to share my living space.” The Elysian stated slightly less stiffly than her previous bouts of speech. “I wouldn't know what to do with all the space.”


The Elysian slumped more into the mattress beneath her and placed her head in her hands – her eyes covered by her palms – and let out a tired sigh.


When Lucien inquired about what had happened in the room after everyone else had left Thalath didn't look up or mover her hands away as she spoke. “I couldn't say.” Pausing, but not wanted to leave things with only that said the Elysian put some confidence into her voice. “I am aware that you and the Commander find me somewhat... stiff Sergeant, but I am still only 'Intern Zaim' and you are simply 'Sergeant McGarland' until I can prove through my own conduct that it should be otherwise.”


Moving her face up so that her chin was resting between her hands Thalath stared across the room and into the wall next to Lucien's bunk. Her orange eyes were hard set and stubborn despite the long hours she had recently pulled. “I need to prove myself.”


Then, with a very sudden change, the Elysian shook her head and leaned back at the waist until she fell against the bed. “I would not wish to bring unnecessary trouble here to this crew as I have done elsewhere – it is very obviously a special place for you and the others.”

 

[Kai]

Arah stared blankly at Taela as the Neko more or less blew up on her. Unswayed, the commander blinked a couple of times, at regular intervals, and crossed her arms, leaning to one side to rest her weight on a console. As Taela yelled vainly at her, Arah's demeanor remained completely impassive. When the Neko's tirade had quite finished, the captain of the Atuan spoke plainly. "I was uninvolved in the process. I have been flying escort missions in Nepleslian space, and was only recently contacted to return to this posting. You should take up any issues with your new boss, Kelly Williams." Uncrossing her arms, the woman turned around and exited out of the bridge's opposite door, heading for her own suite nearby. "I would suggest finding a bunk before they are taken" she called nonchalantly from the hallway.

************

In his wanderings, Doran would come across a man of roughly middle age, whom had short brown hair which was neatly cut. The man, however, stood out in that instead of a standard Origin uniform with green shoulders, he wore one with Blue shoulders. The man seemed to be somewhat interested in the pilot, and turned around to follow him after they had passed one another.

 

[Luca]

"Aye, ye'd be right on that," Lucien replied to Thalath regarding the history of the vessel whilst remaining sprawled on the bed lightly. His eyelids drooped as he looked between the tips of his toes and looked out into the halls. "'s bringin' back memories already." The scotsman sighed. "I used t' be good friends with the current director 'a the Armour Works. Kelly Williams."

"Oh, and yer no longer an Intern, yer a Private now, Thalath. Tho' yer jus' Thalath t' me," He looked at her face and "Ranks got kinda fuzzy in th' heat 'o battle since we weren't strictly military." Perhaps to the scotsman, it was more important to know a face and a name rather than a rank. It made defence stronger and fighting fiercer when you knew you had someone other than a rank covering your back or taking point.

He flipped out his communicator and saw the hundreds of messages from the members of the Origin-owned animation studio requesting that he come back despite the official reassignment. He plonked all of the messages in the junk folder without much thought.

 

[Lamb]

Scrick. Scrick.

"And so you've wasted another perfectly good hour listening to the latest edition of Silver Sounds. It has been a very smooooooth evening."

Scrick. Scrick.

"Don't forget to tune in next week when we've got a live broadcast of The Gun Club, playing their acoustical fantasy suite, baby. You're gonna love it."

Scrick. Scrick. The last run off the razor against the announcer's now-smooth head went as unheard as the others. He keyed his mic once more and gave his typical farewell.

"Until next time, Dawn Station, this is Markus Vintropolis, Master V, your main man and biggest fan, signing off: Stay beautiful, Dawn Station."

Mark donned flicked the switch that faded the theme music as the latest news reports started to ride in. He spun out of his chair and stood, throwing on the Origin uniform with the grace of a cat in the same motion. His producer met him in the hall.

"Fredricks is good to take over hosting next week, as promised, V." He told the towering, tattooed jockey. "You sure about this? I can still pull him back to weeknights at any time, you know?"

"Nah, baby, I gotta do this." Markus replied, not breaking his gait as he moved towards the exit. "Y'know, it's like... Do you remember when Freshness McBadMan went solo for a while, then got back with Funky Feely?"

"Uh, yeah, defining moment in the history of Modern Post-Glam Folk Jazz, there, V." The producer replied, scratching his head in search of some significance.

"It's like that, man." Markus went on easily, "Kelly Williams is gettin' the band back together, and they're gonna need a sound guy, baby."

"I don't see how that's--"

"And that sound guy is me, baby." Mark placed his hand on the producer's shoulder and smiled deeply. His many piercings shone in the low light of the studio. After sharing a moment of slightly homoerotic tension, he raised his hand again and held it up in front of him, fingers straightened. "Ja ne."

-----

"The big Ah-Too-AWN!" Mark shouted at the ship as he boarded it, his duffle swinging over his shoulder. He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, but he didn't care if they heard him, either. The lanky Electronic Warfare Officer pump his fists and danced into the ship gleefully, stopping only to admire the best sights. As he trundled the halls, he listed off the best parts of the ship's specs.

"Full-sized hanger with twelve, count 'em, twelve mecha, baby."

"Fully stocked medical bay filled with sensual medical employees and an array of exotic pharmecuticals."

"Corporate crew-quarters, no spartan military arrangements. Well, except for bunkmates-- but who wants t' sleep alone, am I right!?"

"And don't forget the high-power of fresh, rail delivered steamin' gauss impelled Positron DEATH, honey!"

Eventually, he found himself in an empty room, tossed the duffle onto the floor, and plopped onto the bed with a contended, "Hot damn, I'm home."

 

[Moogle]

Taela spent several moments visibly venting her rage. Not in the "breaking everything in sight" sort of venting, but the "can almost see steam" sort of venting. She stood there until once again, she was calm. A miracle of science, clearly. With a heaving sigh, Taela picked up her bags and made her way down to the dormitory area. Soon enough, she reached the room she had once called home, long ago.

The neko opened the door without so much as a flourish - but much to her surprise, somebody was already in there.

Who else would she see standing there - well, laying, really - but her old co-pilot, Mark?

Taela looked at him. Looked at him some more. Looked at him. . . a little more. Finally, she decided how to approach the situation.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you," she said, setting her belongings in the corner before hopping onto the bed next to the extremely groovy Nepleslian.

 

[Lamb]

Without getting off the bed, Mark flicked his wrist to perch the aviators on his nose just so he could slide them down with an incredulous, wide-eyed stare directed at Taela.

"That a fact, Kitty?" He asked, sounding as skeptical as he looked. "Cuz' to me, you're lookin' mighty furious, baby. Well, lookin' foxy as usual, really... but there's definitely some sort of..."

The former journalist raised his hands and waved them in front of him like some sort of ancient medicine man while he finished, "Air of condensed furious floating all around you."

 

[Straken]

Doran had passed a glance and a nod to the aging man as they passed, a custom he usually did with everyone, but was a little put off when instead of a nod the man began to follow him. Though not one to be put off for long Doran turned around and proceeded to walk backwards so as to face the man while speaking. "'Lo friend, ya wouldn't happen to've seen a duffel just laying about, would ya?" the Irishman asked as his hands found their way into his pockets and he donned a relatively innocent demeanor.

Now with a better opportunity to inspect the man whom he was questioning, he noted the variation in uniform that he had previously missed. Then, for no reason at all beyond personal tendency, a cocky smile sat on his face making him look fairly childish.