Gunhand4171
The Gunman
Planet Yamatai
Uesureyan Fields
Desperados Restaurant
The restaurant was a flurry of activity. Star Army personnel and their families filtered in and out, however the bar was oddly absent. Except for a lone occupant. A nepleslian sat alone at the bar. His black jacket's hood was off, which allowed some of the cybernetics on the back of his head to be seen. Two swords hung from his hips, their sheathes bouncing against the chair as he shifted his weight.
A bartender sauntered over and leaned over to him and asked. "What will you be having?"
William's eyes flicked up to him. "Whiskey, on the rocks." He replied softly.
As the bartender began to create his drink, he ran a hand through his hair and turned his head towards the entrance where a black haired and familiar Nekovalkyrja entered with a duffel and some casual jeans, tee shirt, and olive bomber jacket with fur-trim on. She scanned the crowd and noticed the hulking Nepleslian on the other side of the bar from William.
She walked to the edge of the bar, signaling to the Nepleslian bartender for a drink, "Same as he's having." She pointed to the Sky Marshall's son, a fact still unknown to many.
He smiled softly as Eden entered. "Are you enjoying the shore leave, Shosa?" William asked as the bartender placed two identical glasses in front of them.
"I'm about to leave," Eden said simply as she looked at the drink distastefully. "I forgot you Nepleslians drink like this." She took a slow, small sip, then said, "I just handed out some wrist slaps and promotions."
William chuckled as she looked at her drink. "It is an acquired taste. Father got me into them." He replied, taking his own glass and taking a sip of the amber liquid. He enjoyed the burn as it slowly flowed down his throat. "Where are you headed to, if you don't mind sharing?" He asked.
"A planet out West. There's a festival going on. You were going to be on the VIP invite list, but Command asked that the Princess and her entourage stay behind." Eden patted his cybernetic hand. "I'm sorry. If you'd like I can reach out and request you be allowed?"
The Nepleslian smiled and shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not one for parties anyway. But can you bring me back a souvenir?" He asked taking another sip of his drink. "Besides, I have training to do here while we have some time off. I can't get rusty." He said, patting his swords affectionately.
"I respect your aptitude for swordsmanship," she replied as she tested the whiskey waters once more, generally dissatisfied with the taste. "I wish I could take out my old Kaiyō I zesuaium sword once in awhile, but," Eden sighed, "it's not so easy."
William frowned. "Why not?" He wondered aloud. The Nepleslian downed the rest of his drink and raised a hand to the bartender, who quickly refilled his glass with more of the amber liquid. "I also need to practice with the hand cannons Father gave me." He pulled out one of them from his underarm holster and slid it over to Eden for her to inspect.
"Styrling," Eden said in reverence, "these are ultra. I haven't seen a single action in a long time."
"Revolvers pack more of a punch. Plus with my cybernetic enhancemnets, it makes handling both of them much easier. The mindware also gives me an advantage when I am using both pistols at once." He said to Eden.
"I'm happy you have a way to even out the differences between yourself and Nekovalkyrja," Eden told him earnestly.
The Nepleslian bartender gruffly took her unfinished drink away from her.
"I wasn't done..." Eden said.
The bartender haughtily grunted at Eden, walking away.
William nodded at Eden's observation. "Been trying to even my odds against you all." He replied with a smile. When the bartender took her drink, he chuckled. "I think he could tell that you weren't a fan of the whiskey. Might be better off with sake." He added.
"I think he just didn't like my commentary," Eden grumbled.
"It feels like forever ago that I joined the Kaiyo. I almost feel like a veteran." He joked, looking back to Eden. "Back then I couldn't do anything to help fight, but now I can lead a charge no problem."
"Have you thought of signing up with the NSN and joining their officer exchange program? With some string pulling you could find your way back to us with a rank and dog tags. Would you do that?" Eden asked. "It would take you away from the princess for a time, but perhaps it is the path for you."
William was silent for a long moment, taking another swig of his drink. "I truly don't know. If I did, I couldn't be the Princess's body guard. Plus the NSMC ot NSN wouldn't let me use my swords. I would have to learn their way of fighting too." He replied, apprehensively. "Not only that, they could pull me at anytime. To be honst I don't wish to part from her highness's side."
"What is a princess without protectors?" Eden asked, then telepathically, told him. "Dead." She let that sink in a little, then added, "You are needed where you are, being what you are, and the person you are."
The Nepleslian nodded. "My thoughts exactly. It might be easier for me to be a fully commissioned officer, but that would take me away from her highness." He smiled softly. "And I can't see myself parting with her unless she wishes it to be so. As long as she wants me by her side, I will stay by her side."
"I noticed you were off in Ayenee," she said telepathically, "you were off in several universes besides our own, sometimes conquering them. Is that true?"
He smirked as he replied with his mindware. "It's true. I followed my lady into Ayenee. It was an... intresting expirence to say the least." He replied taking a drink. "That place was something else." He added.
"But," Eden said, pressing the topic, "you were in several besides Ayenee."
"That is correct." He replied. "They were very odd places..." He summarized. He sent packets of data to Eden containing visual data his eye recorded durning his time there.
Eden said in his mind, haltting her ability to see any more than she had already seen through his mind's eye, "Wah, that's classified! I don't need to know that much!" She had seen scenarios nobody in SAINT wanted her to see. Scenarios that were many sides of the same coin.
He shrugged. "Alright." He replied, stopping the transmission. "Sorry, I didn't realize they didn't let you know what happened. The other universes were quite odd places." He added softly.
"I am on a need to know basis and, after that Avatar, I know more than they need me to know," she said telepathically. "Am I correct in that you got specific knowledge about your home nation?"
He smirked. "Plenty, actually. However I have already been sworn to secrecy by both father and the IPG. But they made it woth my while." He added as the bartender placed the entire bottle of whiskey down this time and walked off. "Much better." He said, pouring himself another glass.
"Ahh," Eden said. "Then I won't tell you what she let me have. I've sworn myself to secrecy." Knowing this wouldn't taunt the boy she had seen grow to be a man on her ship, she went on. "I like knowing you're on my ship, and I like knowing you like being there."
He smiled warmly at Eden. "I've said it before. I feel like you all are my family, and you still are my family. I might have found my father, but I still feel that the Kaiyō is where I truly belong." He said. "Thank you for allowing me onto your ship all the months ago."
"It's one of my better decisions, or was, as Captain. You came aboard during a tumultuous time, but with your presence have brought some peace to the ship when we need it most. Thank you, Wiliam."
William turned to Eden, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "No thanks is necessary." He replied, giving the woman a hug. "You trusted me, I only wished to return the favor as best as I could."
She loved hugs, especially from people she loved, which she laid out for him to know after they had hugged, "You're family to me, too, Wiliam."
The Nepleslian laughed softly, as a tear fell from his face. Not one of sadness, but of joy. "You know I have always thought of you as an aunt you know." He said, only half joking.
"Most people think of me as something more motherly," Eden said with a sad laugh, not catching that Wiliam may have been half-joking. "It's not every day that I get to be like an aunt or a mother to others outright, it's nice to be reminded that I am, though."
William caught the change of tone and studied Eden's face. She looked into his with gilded eyes that were lidded, over a wan smile that was not fully present. He pulled Eden into another embrace and held her for a moment before saying.
"Well you are to me, and you always will be too." He said
"Thank you, Wiliam," Eden said only, now crying herself gently.
The bartender came and took the bottle away, but said in a characteristically gruff manner, "It's on the house... Next time, no crying..."
"I miss a lot of things, a lot of people," Eden said. "I am glad I don't have you to miss in the future..."
He nodded to the bartender as his cybernetic hand slowly rubbed Eden's back. As she spoke, he smiled. "Don't worry Aunty Eden. I won't be going anywhere. And even if I did, I would still visit you often. You are my favorite aunt after all." He said with a mischevious smile
Eden gave a smile to the comment, then wiped her tears. She gave him a big hug from the side and pressed her cheek into his shoulder momentariily before straightening herself up.
"Thank you, Wiliam... I should be going," she said with a reassuring smile.
William leaned into the hug and nodded as she stood. "Alright. Have fun on your trip. And please bring me back a souvenir, Aunty?" He teased.
Eden looked at him stoicly as she stood, "Don't call me that..." Then, she cracked a smile, "... Around the crew. Have a nice day and say hello to your princess and her yojimbo for me, alright?"
He chuckled softly. "Yes... Aunty."
Uesureyan Fields
Desperados Restaurant
The restaurant was a flurry of activity. Star Army personnel and their families filtered in and out, however the bar was oddly absent. Except for a lone occupant. A nepleslian sat alone at the bar. His black jacket's hood was off, which allowed some of the cybernetics on the back of his head to be seen. Two swords hung from his hips, their sheathes bouncing against the chair as he shifted his weight.
A bartender sauntered over and leaned over to him and asked. "What will you be having?"
William's eyes flicked up to him. "Whiskey, on the rocks." He replied softly.
As the bartender began to create his drink, he ran a hand through his hair and turned his head towards the entrance where a black haired and familiar Nekovalkyrja entered with a duffel and some casual jeans, tee shirt, and olive bomber jacket with fur-trim on. She scanned the crowd and noticed the hulking Nepleslian on the other side of the bar from William.
She walked to the edge of the bar, signaling to the Nepleslian bartender for a drink, "Same as he's having." She pointed to the Sky Marshall's son, a fact still unknown to many.
He smiled softly as Eden entered. "Are you enjoying the shore leave, Shosa?" William asked as the bartender placed two identical glasses in front of them.
"I'm about to leave," Eden said simply as she looked at the drink distastefully. "I forgot you Nepleslians drink like this." She took a slow, small sip, then said, "I just handed out some wrist slaps and promotions."
William chuckled as she looked at her drink. "It is an acquired taste. Father got me into them." He replied, taking his own glass and taking a sip of the amber liquid. He enjoyed the burn as it slowly flowed down his throat. "Where are you headed to, if you don't mind sharing?" He asked.
"A planet out West. There's a festival going on. You were going to be on the VIP invite list, but Command asked that the Princess and her entourage stay behind." Eden patted his cybernetic hand. "I'm sorry. If you'd like I can reach out and request you be allowed?"
The Nepleslian smiled and shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not one for parties anyway. But can you bring me back a souvenir?" He asked taking another sip of his drink. "Besides, I have training to do here while we have some time off. I can't get rusty." He said, patting his swords affectionately.
"I respect your aptitude for swordsmanship," she replied as she tested the whiskey waters once more, generally dissatisfied with the taste. "I wish I could take out my old Kaiyō I zesuaium sword once in awhile, but," Eden sighed, "it's not so easy."
William frowned. "Why not?" He wondered aloud. The Nepleslian downed the rest of his drink and raised a hand to the bartender, who quickly refilled his glass with more of the amber liquid. "I also need to practice with the hand cannons Father gave me." He pulled out one of them from his underarm holster and slid it over to Eden for her to inspect.
"Styrling," Eden said in reverence, "these are ultra. I haven't seen a single action in a long time."
"Revolvers pack more of a punch. Plus with my cybernetic enhancemnets, it makes handling both of them much easier. The mindware also gives me an advantage when I am using both pistols at once." He said to Eden.
"I'm happy you have a way to even out the differences between yourself and Nekovalkyrja," Eden told him earnestly.
The Nepleslian bartender gruffly took her unfinished drink away from her.
"I wasn't done..." Eden said.
The bartender haughtily grunted at Eden, walking away.
William nodded at Eden's observation. "Been trying to even my odds against you all." He replied with a smile. When the bartender took her drink, he chuckled. "I think he could tell that you weren't a fan of the whiskey. Might be better off with sake." He added.
"I think he just didn't like my commentary," Eden grumbled.
"It feels like forever ago that I joined the Kaiyo. I almost feel like a veteran." He joked, looking back to Eden. "Back then I couldn't do anything to help fight, but now I can lead a charge no problem."
"Have you thought of signing up with the NSN and joining their officer exchange program? With some string pulling you could find your way back to us with a rank and dog tags. Would you do that?" Eden asked. "It would take you away from the princess for a time, but perhaps it is the path for you."
William was silent for a long moment, taking another swig of his drink. "I truly don't know. If I did, I couldn't be the Princess's body guard. Plus the NSMC ot NSN wouldn't let me use my swords. I would have to learn their way of fighting too." He replied, apprehensively. "Not only that, they could pull me at anytime. To be honst I don't wish to part from her highness's side."
"What is a princess without protectors?" Eden asked, then telepathically, told him. "Dead." She let that sink in a little, then added, "You are needed where you are, being what you are, and the person you are."
The Nepleslian nodded. "My thoughts exactly. It might be easier for me to be a fully commissioned officer, but that would take me away from her highness." He smiled softly. "And I can't see myself parting with her unless she wishes it to be so. As long as she wants me by her side, I will stay by her side."
"I noticed you were off in Ayenee," she said telepathically, "you were off in several universes besides our own, sometimes conquering them. Is that true?"
He smirked as he replied with his mindware. "It's true. I followed my lady into Ayenee. It was an... intresting expirence to say the least." He replied taking a drink. "That place was something else." He added.
"But," Eden said, pressing the topic, "you were in several besides Ayenee."
"That is correct." He replied. "They were very odd places..." He summarized. He sent packets of data to Eden containing visual data his eye recorded durning his time there.
Eden said in his mind, haltting her ability to see any more than she had already seen through his mind's eye, "Wah, that's classified! I don't need to know that much!" She had seen scenarios nobody in SAINT wanted her to see. Scenarios that were many sides of the same coin.
He shrugged. "Alright." He replied, stopping the transmission. "Sorry, I didn't realize they didn't let you know what happened. The other universes were quite odd places." He added softly.
"I am on a need to know basis and, after that Avatar, I know more than they need me to know," she said telepathically. "Am I correct in that you got specific knowledge about your home nation?"
He smirked. "Plenty, actually. However I have already been sworn to secrecy by both father and the IPG. But they made it woth my while." He added as the bartender placed the entire bottle of whiskey down this time and walked off. "Much better." He said, pouring himself another glass.
"Ahh," Eden said. "Then I won't tell you what she let me have. I've sworn myself to secrecy." Knowing this wouldn't taunt the boy she had seen grow to be a man on her ship, she went on. "I like knowing you're on my ship, and I like knowing you like being there."
He smiled warmly at Eden. "I've said it before. I feel like you all are my family, and you still are my family. I might have found my father, but I still feel that the Kaiyō is where I truly belong." He said. "Thank you for allowing me onto your ship all the months ago."
"It's one of my better decisions, or was, as Captain. You came aboard during a tumultuous time, but with your presence have brought some peace to the ship when we need it most. Thank you, Wiliam."
William turned to Eden, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "No thanks is necessary." He replied, giving the woman a hug. "You trusted me, I only wished to return the favor as best as I could."
She loved hugs, especially from people she loved, which she laid out for him to know after they had hugged, "You're family to me, too, Wiliam."
The Nepleslian laughed softly, as a tear fell from his face. Not one of sadness, but of joy. "You know I have always thought of you as an aunt you know." He said, only half joking.
"Most people think of me as something more motherly," Eden said with a sad laugh, not catching that Wiliam may have been half-joking. "It's not every day that I get to be like an aunt or a mother to others outright, it's nice to be reminded that I am, though."
William caught the change of tone and studied Eden's face. She looked into his with gilded eyes that were lidded, over a wan smile that was not fully present. He pulled Eden into another embrace and held her for a moment before saying.
"Well you are to me, and you always will be too." He said
"Thank you, Wiliam," Eden said only, now crying herself gently.
The bartender came and took the bottle away, but said in a characteristically gruff manner, "It's on the house... Next time, no crying..."
"I miss a lot of things, a lot of people," Eden said. "I am glad I don't have you to miss in the future..."
He nodded to the bartender as his cybernetic hand slowly rubbed Eden's back. As she spoke, he smiled. "Don't worry Aunty Eden. I won't be going anywhere. And even if I did, I would still visit you often. You are my favorite aunt after all." He said with a mischevious smile
Eden gave a smile to the comment, then wiped her tears. She gave him a big hug from the side and pressed her cheek into his shoulder momentariily before straightening herself up.
"Thank you, Wiliam... I should be going," she said with a reassuring smile.
William leaned into the hug and nodded as she stood. "Alright. Have fun on your trip. And please bring me back a souvenir, Aunty?" He teased.
Eden looked at him stoicly as she stood, "Don't call me that..." Then, she cracked a smile, "... Around the crew. Have a nice day and say hello to your princess and her yojimbo for me, alright?"
He chuckled softly. "Yes... Aunty."
