RP [Tsenlan] A Wrench In The Cogs

[Andrew]

RP Date

45.4

RP Location

Akina System

Part 1: Malfunction and Consequences​

Several Days Following the Hanami Festival on Yamatai

Akina System​

Site of Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Arks Beta and Gamma being joined to create Akelost Station

Cheol increased his pace as he tried to keep up with Rin as she moved down the corridor from the docking sector. "Rin, talk to me? What are you thinking? You haven't said a word since we left the festival," he said as they dodged workers that were on ladders fixing conventional components that were built into the Leviathan's structure. "Tal'Cel! What has you so upset?!" he said again after he had to grab one of the ladders to stop a poor worker from falling when she clipped it on her way past. It appeared his inquiries fell on deaf ears, or worse infuriated her more than she already was. It was not long before they were in the middle of the old Imperial Sector of Ark Beta, //"What are we doing here?"// he asked, this time he attempted through vesper, she did answer, but not with words more of a high pitched hiss that made his head feel like he had been clobbered. She stopped before two closed armored isolation doors, she bruhed her hand across the dust covered translucent pane that was about mid level, it revealed the label beneath:

04C-Cae'Aester Rin Eitan

Rin turned around, and grabbed Cheol by the chin her black painted well manicured nails lightly dragged against his skin, she leaned in real close and spoke for the first time since the festival. Her jaw tightened and her face twitched with fuming anger as she said to him in a loud, domineering voice, "I aum nis au Qeuun!" ("I AM NOT A CEL!) She held him there, her sapphire eyes didn't leave his. It forced him right down to his knees as he stared back at her. It was as if time stood still, all he could here was her seething breath that followed her words. She felt as he strained in her grip to try and nod, she released his chin but not without pushing him right back down with a dismissive push of her wrist. "Ank I aum nis simu Esphrau kaumnuk rufejuu," ("And I am not some Espra damned refugee,") she said as the mindhive opened the isolation doors following the input of her credentials.

The lighting in the office activated, a series of volumetric screens followed as the isolated mindhive also began to wake from its hibernation. The office was extremely well decorated and just the way she had left it. The large desk still had datapads scattered on it, various volumetric blueprints of vessels swirled to life along with a simulated viewport behind the desk which still showed an image of the Attanaark Expanse. There was a command style throne chair behind the desk, two padded leather chairs in front along with a sofa along one of the side walls that extended from the corner to the door to her private quarters. She stood in front of the desk, eyes locked on the simulated viewport that had the flags of their old nation on either side of it.

"You can come in Cheol, don't just sit there," she said in a voice now not barely above a whisper.

Cheol scrambled to his feet and entered behind her. He didn't dare approach too close with her in the mood she was in. He just stared at the back of her as she grabbed a folded Aest Vyrdi from the desk and pulled it on over her head, the long sleeves and colorful teal bird-like pattern on its back. He waited for her to say something, he didn't understand what was happening other than she had obviously grown tired of things as they were. She was still seething and he could tell that the emotion was near the point of being vile, he just folded his hands behind his back and stood there waiting.

 

[Andrew]

Rin's Old Office​

Site of Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Arks Beta and Gamma being joined to create Akelost Station
"I can't believe I ever agreed to go along with any of this quietly," Rin said as she walked around the desk and sat down in the chair. "It used to be my advantage to sit in the shadows and watch as ignorant woman after ignorant woman took the throne beside my brother, " she paused briefly as she leaned down to open one of the desk drawers and produced a black, long necked liquor bottle. "It benefited us both in the positions we were in, a nation buried in war for one of us to cling to the shadows in hope that there would be some continuance of normal, and now here we are the war is over and I've been confined to darkness," she said as she popped the cork from the bottle and held it just beneath her nose and took a long hard sniff of the contents. He eyes closed briefly, then opened again as she poured the drink in a glass. The liquid was bright blue at first but as it hit the glass and react with the air it turned partly pink toward the top of the glass with gold-like flakes that swirled through the mixture.
Cheol didn't say much, he slowly sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk. "I..." he paused when he noticed the drink she had poured. He felt a knot in his stomach as he sank into the chair, "I'm sorry you've been unhappy, have you told your bother that you are? I mean what would hurt for you to at least have a proper title now? I don't understand the subterfuge myself," he said as he watched the liquid in the glass swirl, he narrowed his eyes a bit, "You're not going to drink that? I mean now?" he questioned.

Rin chuckled briefly in reply to his questions, "No, not now. First you're going to hold my hand through some pain," she stated, as a grin peeled across her face.
Cheol nodded, a puzzled look on his face as she suggested he would need to hold her hand through pain. He was about to speak when he heard the office door open behind him and he turned in his chair to see who entered. He seen Jun walk in, the former head of medical, and one of the sons of Airwin and Sinith. "Doc..." Cheol said as he watched as Jun passed him and stood on the other side of the desk to the right of Rin. He turned back to face them with a till confused look.
"Good Morning, Cheol," Jun said with his usual smile. He put down his medical kit on the desk and opened it up.

Rin moved forward in the chair but then turned herself to the right, "Well Cheol? Get over here," she said as she held her hand out in front of her and lowered her head. Her electric blue hair fell forwards and Jun moved as much of it over her shoulders as he could.

"Uh, Yeah," Cheol replied and stood up and walked to the right side, and took her hand in his. He was still confused. What were they up to? Why would Rin possibly need someone to hold her hand? He knew what kind of a woman she was and that was enough for him to find it all very strange. He looked over at Jun and watched as the doctor took out a surgical laser scalpel from his kit and brushed more of her hair away from the back of her neck.

"This is going to hurt," Jun stated as he leaned over to get a better view of the back of her neck. He ran his thumb across the skin at the back of her neck briefly as he visualized the small incision he needed to make. He pointed the scalpel and then activated it, the tiny red beam grazed across the skin as Rin's blood trickled out just slightly, most of it was cauterized right away with the action of the surgical tool. "Hold still, " Jun said as he felt her tense, her hand gripped Cheol's tightly. He shut the tool off and put it between his teeth to hold it while he reached back down into the kit and pulled out a small pair of forceps. He dug around for a minute carefully, "Ah, there we are," he said to himself as he closed the forceps down on a small chip-like device roughly the size of a thumb, and he pulled it out and dropped it onto the desk.

Rin flinched as the device was removed, the purplish colour of Rin's Vanadium-based Norian Blood dripped from the device as it was sat on the desk. Cheol looked at the device as he recognized one of the logos on its surface, //"Masamune? Why did she have a Masamune-based device in her?"// it took him a few moments, then he looked back at her and watched as Jun sealed the wound and covered it with a small bandage.

When Jun finished, Rin let go of Cheol's hand. It nearly made him jump out of his skin as her fist came down hard onto the device on the desk which shattered it into small pieces. "Make sure to change the dressing tomorrow morning, and keep it clean..." Jun's words seemed almost unrecognizable as Cheol caught his breath after the sound of the device being smashed. He looked at Rin, still able to hear his own heart beat as he stared into what seemed to be an endless abyss.

 

[Miyako]

Rin's Old Office​

Site of Akelost Leviathan Hybrid Arks Beta and Gamma being joined to create Akelost Station

There were absolutely not enough people in the office by then, not according to the young woman entering next. The door slid open and another family member sauntered inside with a slight smile on her face.

"We have to find you a party you're going to enjoy." Arina offered as a greeting. She didn't ask if she could stay, as if saying it's a forgone conclusion. "Is my powerful and pretty aunt giving you trouble?" The white-haired woman tested the air filters by flopping onto the sofa with her legs over the end and tilted her head upside down to wave at the trio, "I guess you're done?"

She wore her flight suit, which felt odd on the Arks. Her last memories of an Ark were much different, it felt strange to come back. There was less terror hanging in the air, it might need to be expunged from the corridors and airlocks by new purpose going forward.

//"I'm not above coming over there and hugging you in front of everyone."// Arina used Vesper to trickle her affection and cautious pleasure at being around her again. The fact she was so rough always appealed to her, among other things. Rin had a drive she was always in awe of. Their time during the escape had forced her to come to understand her aunt better, as well.

 

[Andrew]

Jun closed his medical kit after he put away his tools. "Sadly I will have to decline a party right now, I have work to do. It is good to see you though and you too Cheol," he said as he glanced at Rin briefly as he whispered to her through vesper, //"Self control is up to you now. I trust you will exercise it," He walked past Arina and out the door she had just entered.

"I'm the one who needs a drink now," Cheol said as he stood up and gave a respectful bow toward Arina, "I think I will go with Jun, I have an appointment on the surface. If I am needed further, please call upon me." he said and then followed the doctor out with the intention of questioning him about what had just happened.

Rin smiled and rose from her position at the desk, the inky black in her eyes faded as she looked toward Arina. She walked to her and said through vesper, "I know you're not above it, but I will beat you to it this time." She took a few strides and cupped Arina's cheeks in her hands. She had not seen her since their arrival on the Arks, when Alpha had perished. "It is good to see you, " she said in a delighted tone which changed as she said to Cheol, "I will call on you, Admiral." She addressed him with his pervious title, and then returned her attention to Arina, "Tell me, did you enlist yet? If you haven't I have another idea for you to consider," she mentioned as she watched the other two leave the office over Arina's shoulder.

 

[Miyako]

"Well if you two insist. Have a productive time out there." Arina tried to sound less giddy that she was back around her aunt, but by the time her cheeks were being warmed by her palms she gave up.

"I'm good to go if you need me for anything." Her eyes practically shone out at her for a few seconds, then she closed them about halfway and comically puckered her lips up in a rather piscine manner, lifting her hands up to squeeze her wrists warmly. "Should I make space here? What do you need me for?" Asked the younger of the pair, shifting so there was space on the outer half of the sofa by tilting herself up against the back by about 45 degrees or so.

"Eventually, I'll get shipped somewhere." The context of what was going on worried her at first, but the warm way she was received did much to allay her apprehensions.

"That is just not this day."