Trash Talk (closed)
Character(s): Ani, Kororen, Mara, Zeek, Linex, Connie, anyone who happens to meet up with them
Content: Walking to the dump
Setting: On the road, near the Fountain
Warnings: Insinuation, strong language, gratuitous chinese slang.
(After hours spent digging in the graveyard, and stitching things together over a surgical table: IT LIVES!)
Not that Ani didn't understand the wonder inspired by the violet man's arrival, but if everyone stopped and stared every time something new and unexpected happened in this place, he got the impression that nothing would ever be done. "Come on, people." he stated to draw their attention back to the task at hand. "Sooner we get out, sooner we get back and eat." Ani nodded to Linex with a grateful smile and followed him in the direction of the 'middens'- a fancy enough word for a pile of Mi Tian Gohn.
"Me, I'm Captain Angelo Duncan. Right pleasure to be meetin' the both of you." Walking backwards to face them, he beamed companionably, the roll of carpet shifted across both shoulders at the moment, a comfortable stretch across the chest after all the reaching forward and pulling of removing the carpets from the floors. "This gentleman bein' so kind as to guide us is Linex."
"How about yourself?" he addressed the fourth member of their little band with a direct smile and pointed eye contact, absently admiring the rich red color of them.
Zeek
He returned the smile politely, though it did little to warm his eyes. "Zeek," he supplied, before looking to the cat-eared man curiously. "Linex, huh?" Shifting his load carefully so he wouldn't bump anyone, he mused for a moment. "Well, it's nice to meet you."
Linex
"And you, Zeek." Linex responded, taking in a deep whiff of air, his nose tickling and reminding him of their route. Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully and his tail swished back and forth as other smells mixed with the dump, warning him that Gimacats plus a Gimabear or two had been snooping around.
"Okay. Some of our local fauna have discovered the dump. They're gone now, and I'll keep my nose and ears out for them, but you should be prepared to defend yourself just in case." He strolled forward, ears swiveling for the slightest sound. He knew cats after all, and in his experience and research, Gimacats were just like any wild lion back home.
A deep breathe. Time to show Niji and Ares what he could do.
"Let's be smart, stay together, everyone plays sentry, everyone be prepared to drop what your holding and get a weapon out. I'm not anticipating problems, but these predators have no fear, as I understand some of you found today." A glance around to each face. A lip twitch that might be construed as a smile.
"Let's go." With that and a wave he moved them out.
Connie
Turning to follow was made easier by the reminder of her duty, no matter how spectacular their newest comrade. It was good to see others that had their wits about them, and Connie was finding more to admire about this good Captain with each step. The spotted fella himself was impressive, and she wagered he'd been there for a good while, what with his easy instructions and leading of their group.
Zeek was looking better by the minute as well, more sure of himself and finally communicating properly. A smile pulled at her lips, glad in earnest that he were adjusting without the same deal of drama she'd witnessed in other fellow strays here.
Connie could only hope that Kelly would find himself soon, seeing as how she didn't want the boy eaten on her watch or anyone else's.
I'll make it up to him, she resolved happily, continuing about her business without a word, focusing on the sights and sounds of their surroundings in her task.
Ani
Subtle cues in the way Linex carried himself and spoke told Ani that this was not a man who was used to taking charge of a group of people. It was a good sign, then, that he was willing to try. He'd obviously been here long enough to know what some of the local critters were capable of. Ani nodded to him and kept up, near the front, the carpet shifted back over to his right shoulder to leave his left hand free to draw if needed.
A part of him very much wanted to catch a glimpse of a live sample, but he knew well enough that that was not a complication they needed. Zeek was doing his best to be nice, but clearly low in spirits, and Ani knew better than to try to force anyone out of a well deserving mood. He wasn't thrilled about being here himself, but he'd be damned if he let his thoughts drag anyone else down lower than they already were.
Connie also acted like she'd become used to the idea of being here. Either she really was, or she was too busy admiring him to be dismayed by her surroundings. He wasn't going to argue it either way, since she was mindful enough of her surroundings not to get hurt, even if it did puzzle him still. He kept his own eyes darting, old habit serving well enough here, even if he wasn't entirely certain what he was looking for. Odds were anything that rushed them without warning was looking for a bullet to the skull anyway.
"So where all y'all from?" he asked letting himself look and sound interested, but not too cheery, wondering what kind of planet cat-people lived on.
Zeek
Living in a city - small as it may be - Zeek was rather used to encountering strange scents. This place was different, though It was almost like being in a zoo - where you could smell the animals, but the city was never far off. Except everything here was unfamiliar. Not to mention decaying.
At Ani's question, he turned his attention from his surroundings to the other man. "Um.. I'm from a small college town in Montana." He paused for a moment, thinking, before shrugging. "Not a particularly interesting place if you're from a big city, I suppose.... What about you?"
Linex
Linex kept his pace slow... calm. Ears and eyes remaining on alert, half listening to the conversation.
So... it seemed Zeek was from Earth at least... AN Earth the Mod reminded himself.
"I'm originally from New York state." Linex offered, "Though I'd bet a different New York then your world.
Connie
"Big Apple, huh?" Connie asked as she walked, remembering that you could find every manner of person in that city, so how surprising could she find a cat-man when you really thought about it?
"Windy City myself," she happily claimed, shrugging the carpet roll higher. "But whaddya mean, a different one? How many New Yorks can there be?"
Different worlds? Miss Sierra was right... She blinked, puffing some loose curls out of her face, her nose wrinkling a bit as she was dusted in the mess that had been gathered up in the carpet. It was best to be thought about later and not become distracted again.
Ani
Montana. That name sounded familiar, but Ani knew he'd never been there. New York gave him the second clue he needed. Old Earth. America. Montana was where dinosaur bones were dug up. And New York was where the X-Men had lived. Windy City, though? That wasn't a name that he remembered off the top of his head. Big Apple was a nick-name though, for New York City he thought. Like 'Gotham'. Right. Which one was it then? Detroit? Chicago? Chicago.
A huge childish grin split his face, and widened with each realization. "So you're all from Old Earth?" he wondered. "What's it like? I've studied it, but- It's a bit far to visit. Was. Well, still is, I guess," he cast a chagrined look at the clouded sky. "I've always wanted to know more about it, though." The wonder was back, dancing in his eyes, unassumed and undisguised, a rare moment of true honesty from him.
Mara
They were not exactly flying directly to the Fountain. Mara was never one to do things directly, especially when things smelled interesting in another direction. Sure enough, there were people down there. She recognized Linex but not the rest and suppressed a happy laugh. More people to play with and Linex was part of the Fountain group, so this probably qualified as getting Kororen home.
She dove down, landing in front of them at a fast descent. She braced one hand against the ground, the other wrapped securely around Kororen's waist clutching him to her bosom, and dropped to one knee to absorb her speed. Her shadowy wings were spread wide for a moment before they faded away and she stood up, back still toward them and chuckling softly.
Zeek
"Different New York..." Zeek turned the idea over in his head, feeling a little confused, but remembering what Ares had said barely an hour ago. It made a strange sort of sense that he would be from a... 'different' Earth, considering he had never seen someone quite like Linex before.
His attention shifted once again when Ani spoke, and he felt his heart sink at the mention of how far from home he might actually be. However, the honest curiosity from the other man had his own peeking. "'Old Earth..?' Um... well, I'm not really sure what to tell, honestly..." he looked to the other two, thinking maybe they might be able to offer more, then shrugged. "What about you, Captain? You haven't mentioned where you're from."
Just then a large shadow dove down, landing in front of them, and startling him. "Holy-!" His gaze snapped forward, tail once again fluffing, and he just stared at the new arrivals, fascinated by the show.
Linex
Linex had been about to respond to Ani when the shadow scared the bejeezus out of him. His immediate response was tail straight out to allow him to take off and a growly noise in his throat. Then he realized who it was.
"Must you?!" he demanded of the... well. Mara. He let out a breathe trying to get his heart to stop slamming against his ribs it was beating so hard and fast. But then his nose caught wind of another familiar scent... Immediately he stepped over to Succubus, his instinct to protect kids (and whether Kororen liked it or not, Linex would think of him as a kid) his strongest reflex after burying nose in books.
"Mara? What's wrong with Kororen?"
Connie
"Old Earth?" Connie asked, one fine brow lifting slightly. An answer was not to be had at the moment, though, as a rather endowed woman dropped from the sky, a boy in her arms. Linex seemed to know the broad well enough to be displeased, and anyone who flew around carrying limp kids was sure to warrant a suspicion or two.
"Hey, he alright?" she called as Linex made his way to the pair, trying her damndest not to sidle that way herself just to get a better look at... were those horns? Either way, she would be there soon if there were something seriously wrong with the kid. The whole world wanted to eat each others' hearts, that was fine. Kids in the middle, not so much.
Ani
Ani's search patterns had always included up and down. Living in space tended to make one more aware of three dimensional space, even when walking on the ground. When something swooped out from between the buildings, his gun was in his hand and aimed before he even blinked. What stopped him from firing was that it was a woman. A woman with three eyes. And the blond psychic kid from the fountain. People, fellow exiles, not attackers. Theoretically.
He was a little confused by Linex and Connie's alarm. The boy had had his eyes open. And rather looked like he was having fun, which rose a sudden sharp spike of jealousy in Ani's stomach, even if he wasn't crazy about the idea of flying under someone else's power. But there was always a chance they hadn't seen that. He kept his gun in hand as Linex rushed forward. He at least seemed to know the woman, Mara, enough to be annoyed by her dramatic entrance.
"Mind the surround," he reminded Zeek and Connie in an undertone. New arrivals didn't mean safety from anything else that might have interest in them. As distracting as the three-eyed woman's figure- and various other assets- might be. He couldn't stop himself from glancing over, but he refused to let her be his entire focus when there was a potential danger to be watched for.
Leirian
The speed of their descent was dizzying, but it wasn't until she stopped, her arm cutting roughly into his stomach, that he felt vaguely like being sick, the wind knocked unpleasantly from his lungs.
A small chuckle escaped as he caught his breath again. "Trying to frighten people to death, my dear?" he asked the demoness with an amused grin. He couldn't quite see around Mara, the way she held him, but he recognized the voices of Linex and, he successfully suppressed a grimace, Captain Duncan.
"There is nothing wrong with me, Linex, but thank you for your concern," he acknowledged, back to his typical lack of emotion. "I appreciate you bringing me this far," he addressed Mara and Arshan again.
Mara
"If I wanted them dead, they would be." Mara was happy as she responded to Kororen, pleased with her show and the annoyance it had brought. Linex was even being assertive today. Sexy.
"Don't be like that, Linex" Mara pouted prettily, running one hand down the curve of the Mods face, "I'm being good for once." She followed that unlikely statement with a wicked grin and set Kororen down on the ground before turning to survey the new arrivals.
"Kororen is fine, thank you," Mara said in response to the various looks and comments of concern. She walked over, completely unconcerned for their surroundings or the vigilance with which these people guarded them. She circled the new ones appreciatively, a definite sway in her hips and a twitch to her tail. She made no attempt to hide the way she was sizing them up like cuts of beef at the market and just as yummy.
Another fuzzy-butt cat boy, even more innocent looking than Linex. A saucy little wench with flare. And a mostly shirtless tanned man with interesting scars. She liked her options.
Mara let out an over-exaggerated sigh. "If I wasn't being good, I'd make off with one of you pretties, will he, nil he. See, aren't I nice today?"
Zeek
Zeek glanced around briefly at the reminder. The gun in Ani's hand had him alarmed, fur standing straighter as he looked back to the woman. Linex's worry had him rather confused, though, and he eyed the boy. Nothing seemed to be really wrong with him. In fact, he thought he caught a grin, before his expression turned serious. He didn't blame him - he knew that he'd be ellated to fly like that. The way the golden haired boy spoke rather threw him off, and he tilted his head curiously.
When the woman walked towards them, he found he couldn't help but wonder over her appearance. He shifted his load again, turning slightly to watch her circle them. "Make off with..." he mused absently, doing his best not to outright stare at the horns, and third eye.
Linex
Lin nodded.
"Glad to hear-NO you don't." He immediately stepped in front of Mara, making himself stand tall and speak more confidently then he felt, which he knew wouldn't fool her but he felt obligated to try, "Mara, stop that. Ares brought these ones to us for safety, let them be."
There was no way he could stop her from coming with them, but he could at least ensure that she wasn't harassing/freaking out the others. He took in a breathe, before turning to the others "Sorry about that guys, Mara and Kororen, this is Zeek and Connie. This is Mara. She likes to make our lives here... interesting. And the other one is Kororen. You'll want to talk to him about our group and how to get situated and all that ." He turned to to the other two, "Lady Niji asked me to take them to the dump, and I've still got stuff that needs to be done before the conference."
Connie
Well, at least the kid was milling about and talking alright, and the horned lady was someone they appeared to know. Connie would be smiling herself if she'd just been flung through the sky by a... devil lady? Yeah, that was a tail, alright. Her swagger suggested she was quite at home and happy with her entrance, and Connie knew a saucy broad when she saw one. Thd kid spoke like a real uptown fella, probably from a well to do family. Maybe they were old money? She shrugged, figuring she'd have time to play with him later. Uptown kids often needed to be taught how to have fun.
This lady liked to play, but despite her rather enticing appearance, Connie found herself to be in no mood for shenanigans. Couldn't help a small grin at her antics, though.
"Nice to meetcha, Miss Mara, Kororen. Are you coming with us?" Best to keep them moving, in any case.
Ani
The woman oozed sex appeal. Not the way Ares did, in a field around her, but through all the mundane tricks of body language and tone. The sway in her hips and the self-confidence in her voice. She knew it, too, which if anything made it worse. If Connie was a long tall glass of water, this woman was a pint of whiskey.
More than that, she was completely unafraid. Of them, or of their surroundings, which meant she felt she could take on anything that came at her. Given some of the women he'd known, and her obvious inhuman traits, he was rather inclined to suspect that she could. So he holstered his own weapon again, and took her blatant appraised of them- all of them, at least- as an invitation to return the favor.
6'1" even without the 4 inch heels, perfectly balanced in them. The exposed leg and arm betrayed a musculature reserved for competitive athletes and combatants, and the rest of what was exposed was designed deliberately to leave just enough up to the imagination to be a painful tantalization. An exaggerated hourglass, maybe 45-29-45, double D. The corset didn't diminish the effect. Claws, horns, pointed tail and shadow-wings like some ancient description of Christian demons. And that third eye just sitting there on her forehead like it belonged there. She moved like a predator, and as playful as her insistence on how good she was being was, he suspected it wasn't just play-talk. She honestly considered not-kidnapping people to be specifically good behavior. Rather than, say, normal.
No wonder the Morgaine kid seemed right at home with her.
Still the implied challenge was exciting, and he met her gaze unflinching when it turned to him, returning her predatory smile with his own lopsided grin. Part of him knew he probably should be at least a little bit afraid, but, hell, he'd hunted serial murderers and rapists and escaped with little more than a few scars and some good stories. Scary or not, this broad was interesting.
He raised an eyebrow at Linex's intervention and introduction, making note of how the two 'locals' were described. And noticing that he himself was excluded from it. He might have met the boy already, but he certainly hadn't seen the lady about. At least it wasn't anything he couldn't remedy himself.
"Charmed and intrigued, Ma'am," he admitted in a laughing tone, nodding his greeting. "I'm Captain Duncan. Glad ta be meeting you on a good day, seein' as how I rather insist on having a choice where I'm going, and with who."
Leirian
Kororen bowed in brisk formality when introduced. "Greetings," he stated calmly. "I apologize if I seem rushed, but if Lady Deville is returned, then I have a task waiting for me. If no one has any immediate needs, then I must take my leave."
He waited patiently, just to make sure.
Mara
The succubus stiffened at Linex's tone. She was an embarrassment and problem to him? He thought he could give her orders and make her obey? They could do as they wished, but she had her own rules and nothing else. She smiled politely at the Captain, Connie, and Zeek. "Excuse me."
Her hand shot out and caught Linex by the collar, pulling him close rudely. Mara turned to face him as she lifted him a few inches off the ground. "I do not care about your Lady Niji, your conferences and plans. I do not answer to any of that. If you have a task, then do it. Do not presume to order me around."
"Stop." Arshan's voice resonated, followed by a sigh. Mara tsked and released Linex, turning away with a flick of her tail. She turned a glare on the rest of them. "Enjoy being sheep, dearies. Follow orders until your superiors decide they don't need someone like you anymore, whether it's your fault or not."
She nearly walked off right there, but didn't feel like giving any of them that satisfaction. Instead she went to the Captain and smiled. "We all have our stories. So, handsome, may I walk with you?"
Zeek
He nodded politely at the introductions, but all the standing around was making Zeek feel anxious. The little tiff between Mara and Linex surprised him, but seemed rather pointless. Shifting, he looked around, tail flicking idly.
"It's nice to meet you both. But, not to be rude, maybe we should get moving again..."
Linex
Linex bite down on a yelp as Mara grabbed him and he almost kicked at her... but Arshan intervened. It didn't however stop the growl that had been building up inside his throat from escaping-
And now she was talking to Ani...
His tail lashed for a second and he took a deep breathe. Mara was obviously upset by what he said... and she didn't seem to get that HE was just as upset with HER. The last time he'd really led somebody... it'd been Tyson. That had been an EPIC disaster and their situation here was at times only a bit better. Right now he had MORE lives to look after...
Thankfully Zeek brought him back to reality. Linex forced himself to stop, to put all that on the back burner. Just in time to realize Kororen was planning on going off on his own.
On the one hand, Linex wouldn't deny Kororen could MORE then take care of himself. On the other hand... protective parental-type he could be.
"... Be careful. Gimacats and at least one Gimabear have discovered the dump, and that could set them on our trail. They seem to have left, but..."
Content: Walking to the dump
Setting: On the road, near the Fountain
Warnings: Insinuation, strong language, gratuitous chinese slang.
(After hours spent digging in the graveyard, and stitching things together over a surgical table: IT LIVES!)
Not that Ani didn't understand the wonder inspired by the violet man's arrival, but if everyone stopped and stared every time something new and unexpected happened in this place, he got the impression that nothing would ever be done. "Come on, people." he stated to draw their attention back to the task at hand. "Sooner we get out, sooner we get back and eat." Ani nodded to Linex with a grateful smile and followed him in the direction of the 'middens'- a fancy enough word for a pile of Mi Tian Gohn.
"Me, I'm Captain Angelo Duncan. Right pleasure to be meetin' the both of you." Walking backwards to face them, he beamed companionably, the roll of carpet shifted across both shoulders at the moment, a comfortable stretch across the chest after all the reaching forward and pulling of removing the carpets from the floors. "This gentleman bein' so kind as to guide us is Linex."
"How about yourself?" he addressed the fourth member of their little band with a direct smile and pointed eye contact, absently admiring the rich red color of them.
Zeek
He returned the smile politely, though it did little to warm his eyes. "Zeek," he supplied, before looking to the cat-eared man curiously. "Linex, huh?" Shifting his load carefully so he wouldn't bump anyone, he mused for a moment. "Well, it's nice to meet you."
Linex
"And you, Zeek." Linex responded, taking in a deep whiff of air, his nose tickling and reminding him of their route. Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully and his tail swished back and forth as other smells mixed with the dump, warning him that Gimacats plus a Gimabear or two had been snooping around.
"Okay. Some of our local fauna have discovered the dump. They're gone now, and I'll keep my nose and ears out for them, but you should be prepared to defend yourself just in case." He strolled forward, ears swiveling for the slightest sound. He knew cats after all, and in his experience and research, Gimacats were just like any wild lion back home.
A deep breathe. Time to show Niji and Ares what he could do.
"Let's be smart, stay together, everyone plays sentry, everyone be prepared to drop what your holding and get a weapon out. I'm not anticipating problems, but these predators have no fear, as I understand some of you found today." A glance around to each face. A lip twitch that might be construed as a smile.
"Let's go." With that and a wave he moved them out.
Connie
Turning to follow was made easier by the reminder of her duty, no matter how spectacular their newest comrade. It was good to see others that had their wits about them, and Connie was finding more to admire about this good Captain with each step. The spotted fella himself was impressive, and she wagered he'd been there for a good while, what with his easy instructions and leading of their group.
Zeek was looking better by the minute as well, more sure of himself and finally communicating properly. A smile pulled at her lips, glad in earnest that he were adjusting without the same deal of drama she'd witnessed in other fellow strays here.
Connie could only hope that Kelly would find himself soon, seeing as how she didn't want the boy eaten on her watch or anyone else's.
I'll make it up to him, she resolved happily, continuing about her business without a word, focusing on the sights and sounds of their surroundings in her task.
Ani
Subtle cues in the way Linex carried himself and spoke told Ani that this was not a man who was used to taking charge of a group of people. It was a good sign, then, that he was willing to try. He'd obviously been here long enough to know what some of the local critters were capable of. Ani nodded to him and kept up, near the front, the carpet shifted back over to his right shoulder to leave his left hand free to draw if needed.
A part of him very much wanted to catch a glimpse of a live sample, but he knew well enough that that was not a complication they needed. Zeek was doing his best to be nice, but clearly low in spirits, and Ani knew better than to try to force anyone out of a well deserving mood. He wasn't thrilled about being here himself, but he'd be damned if he let his thoughts drag anyone else down lower than they already were.
Connie also acted like she'd become used to the idea of being here. Either she really was, or she was too busy admiring him to be dismayed by her surroundings. He wasn't going to argue it either way, since she was mindful enough of her surroundings not to get hurt, even if it did puzzle him still. He kept his own eyes darting, old habit serving well enough here, even if he wasn't entirely certain what he was looking for. Odds were anything that rushed them without warning was looking for a bullet to the skull anyway.
"So where all y'all from?" he asked letting himself look and sound interested, but not too cheery, wondering what kind of planet cat-people lived on.
Zeek
Living in a city - small as it may be - Zeek was rather used to encountering strange scents. This place was different, though It was almost like being in a zoo - where you could smell the animals, but the city was never far off. Except everything here was unfamiliar. Not to mention decaying.
At Ani's question, he turned his attention from his surroundings to the other man. "Um.. I'm from a small college town in Montana." He paused for a moment, thinking, before shrugging. "Not a particularly interesting place if you're from a big city, I suppose.... What about you?"
Linex
Linex kept his pace slow... calm. Ears and eyes remaining on alert, half listening to the conversation.
So... it seemed Zeek was from Earth at least... AN Earth the Mod reminded himself.
"I'm originally from New York state." Linex offered, "Though I'd bet a different New York then your world.
Connie
"Big Apple, huh?" Connie asked as she walked, remembering that you could find every manner of person in that city, so how surprising could she find a cat-man when you really thought about it?
"Windy City myself," she happily claimed, shrugging the carpet roll higher. "But whaddya mean, a different one? How many New Yorks can there be?"
Different worlds? Miss Sierra was right... She blinked, puffing some loose curls out of her face, her nose wrinkling a bit as she was dusted in the mess that had been gathered up in the carpet. It was best to be thought about later and not become distracted again.
Ani
Montana. That name sounded familiar, but Ani knew he'd never been there. New York gave him the second clue he needed. Old Earth. America. Montana was where dinosaur bones were dug up. And New York was where the X-Men had lived. Windy City, though? That wasn't a name that he remembered off the top of his head. Big Apple was a nick-name though, for New York City he thought. Like 'Gotham'. Right. Which one was it then? Detroit? Chicago? Chicago.
A huge childish grin split his face, and widened with each realization. "So you're all from Old Earth?" he wondered. "What's it like? I've studied it, but- It's a bit far to visit. Was. Well, still is, I guess," he cast a chagrined look at the clouded sky. "I've always wanted to know more about it, though." The wonder was back, dancing in his eyes, unassumed and undisguised, a rare moment of true honesty from him.
Mara
They were not exactly flying directly to the Fountain. Mara was never one to do things directly, especially when things smelled interesting in another direction. Sure enough, there were people down there. She recognized Linex but not the rest and suppressed a happy laugh. More people to play with and Linex was part of the Fountain group, so this probably qualified as getting Kororen home.
She dove down, landing in front of them at a fast descent. She braced one hand against the ground, the other wrapped securely around Kororen's waist clutching him to her bosom, and dropped to one knee to absorb her speed. Her shadowy wings were spread wide for a moment before they faded away and she stood up, back still toward them and chuckling softly.
Zeek
"Different New York..." Zeek turned the idea over in his head, feeling a little confused, but remembering what Ares had said barely an hour ago. It made a strange sort of sense that he would be from a... 'different' Earth, considering he had never seen someone quite like Linex before.
His attention shifted once again when Ani spoke, and he felt his heart sink at the mention of how far from home he might actually be. However, the honest curiosity from the other man had his own peeking. "'Old Earth..?' Um... well, I'm not really sure what to tell, honestly..." he looked to the other two, thinking maybe they might be able to offer more, then shrugged. "What about you, Captain? You haven't mentioned where you're from."
Just then a large shadow dove down, landing in front of them, and startling him. "Holy-!" His gaze snapped forward, tail once again fluffing, and he just stared at the new arrivals, fascinated by the show.
Linex
Linex had been about to respond to Ani when the shadow scared the bejeezus out of him. His immediate response was tail straight out to allow him to take off and a growly noise in his throat. Then he realized who it was.
"Must you?!" he demanded of the... well. Mara. He let out a breathe trying to get his heart to stop slamming against his ribs it was beating so hard and fast. But then his nose caught wind of another familiar scent... Immediately he stepped over to Succubus, his instinct to protect kids (and whether Kororen liked it or not, Linex would think of him as a kid) his strongest reflex after burying nose in books.
"Mara? What's wrong with Kororen?"
Connie
"Old Earth?" Connie asked, one fine brow lifting slightly. An answer was not to be had at the moment, though, as a rather endowed woman dropped from the sky, a boy in her arms. Linex seemed to know the broad well enough to be displeased, and anyone who flew around carrying limp kids was sure to warrant a suspicion or two.
"Hey, he alright?" she called as Linex made his way to the pair, trying her damndest not to sidle that way herself just to get a better look at... were those horns? Either way, she would be there soon if there were something seriously wrong with the kid. The whole world wanted to eat each others' hearts, that was fine. Kids in the middle, not so much.
Ani
Ani's search patterns had always included up and down. Living in space tended to make one more aware of three dimensional space, even when walking on the ground. When something swooped out from between the buildings, his gun was in his hand and aimed before he even blinked. What stopped him from firing was that it was a woman. A woman with three eyes. And the blond psychic kid from the fountain. People, fellow exiles, not attackers. Theoretically.
He was a little confused by Linex and Connie's alarm. The boy had had his eyes open. And rather looked like he was having fun, which rose a sudden sharp spike of jealousy in Ani's stomach, even if he wasn't crazy about the idea of flying under someone else's power. But there was always a chance they hadn't seen that. He kept his gun in hand as Linex rushed forward. He at least seemed to know the woman, Mara, enough to be annoyed by her dramatic entrance.
"Mind the surround," he reminded Zeek and Connie in an undertone. New arrivals didn't mean safety from anything else that might have interest in them. As distracting as the three-eyed woman's figure- and various other assets- might be. He couldn't stop himself from glancing over, but he refused to let her be his entire focus when there was a potential danger to be watched for.
Leirian
The speed of their descent was dizzying, but it wasn't until she stopped, her arm cutting roughly into his stomach, that he felt vaguely like being sick, the wind knocked unpleasantly from his lungs.
A small chuckle escaped as he caught his breath again. "Trying to frighten people to death, my dear?" he asked the demoness with an amused grin. He couldn't quite see around Mara, the way she held him, but he recognized the voices of Linex and, he successfully suppressed a grimace, Captain Duncan.
"There is nothing wrong with me, Linex, but thank you for your concern," he acknowledged, back to his typical lack of emotion. "I appreciate you bringing me this far," he addressed Mara and Arshan again.
Mara
"If I wanted them dead, they would be." Mara was happy as she responded to Kororen, pleased with her show and the annoyance it had brought. Linex was even being assertive today. Sexy.
"Don't be like that, Linex" Mara pouted prettily, running one hand down the curve of the Mods face, "I'm being good for once." She followed that unlikely statement with a wicked grin and set Kororen down on the ground before turning to survey the new arrivals.
"Kororen is fine, thank you," Mara said in response to the various looks and comments of concern. She walked over, completely unconcerned for their surroundings or the vigilance with which these people guarded them. She circled the new ones appreciatively, a definite sway in her hips and a twitch to her tail. She made no attempt to hide the way she was sizing them up like cuts of beef at the market and just as yummy.
Another fuzzy-butt cat boy, even more innocent looking than Linex. A saucy little wench with flare. And a mostly shirtless tanned man with interesting scars. She liked her options.
Mara let out an over-exaggerated sigh. "If I wasn't being good, I'd make off with one of you pretties, will he, nil he. See, aren't I nice today?"
Zeek
Zeek glanced around briefly at the reminder. The gun in Ani's hand had him alarmed, fur standing straighter as he looked back to the woman. Linex's worry had him rather confused, though, and he eyed the boy. Nothing seemed to be really wrong with him. In fact, he thought he caught a grin, before his expression turned serious. He didn't blame him - he knew that he'd be ellated to fly like that. The way the golden haired boy spoke rather threw him off, and he tilted his head curiously.
When the woman walked towards them, he found he couldn't help but wonder over her appearance. He shifted his load again, turning slightly to watch her circle them. "Make off with..." he mused absently, doing his best not to outright stare at the horns, and third eye.
Linex
Lin nodded.
"Glad to hear-NO you don't." He immediately stepped in front of Mara, making himself stand tall and speak more confidently then he felt, which he knew wouldn't fool her but he felt obligated to try, "Mara, stop that. Ares brought these ones to us for safety, let them be."
There was no way he could stop her from coming with them, but he could at least ensure that she wasn't harassing/freaking out the others. He took in a breathe, before turning to the others "Sorry about that guys, Mara and Kororen, this is Zeek and Connie. This is Mara. She likes to make our lives here... interesting. And the other one is Kororen. You'll want to talk to him about our group and how to get situated and all that ." He turned to to the other two, "Lady Niji asked me to take them to the dump, and I've still got stuff that needs to be done before the conference."
Connie
Well, at least the kid was milling about and talking alright, and the horned lady was someone they appeared to know. Connie would be smiling herself if she'd just been flung through the sky by a... devil lady? Yeah, that was a tail, alright. Her swagger suggested she was quite at home and happy with her entrance, and Connie knew a saucy broad when she saw one. Thd kid spoke like a real uptown fella, probably from a well to do family. Maybe they were old money? She shrugged, figuring she'd have time to play with him later. Uptown kids often needed to be taught how to have fun.
This lady liked to play, but despite her rather enticing appearance, Connie found herself to be in no mood for shenanigans. Couldn't help a small grin at her antics, though.
"Nice to meetcha, Miss Mara, Kororen. Are you coming with us?" Best to keep them moving, in any case.
Ani
The woman oozed sex appeal. Not the way Ares did, in a field around her, but through all the mundane tricks of body language and tone. The sway in her hips and the self-confidence in her voice. She knew it, too, which if anything made it worse. If Connie was a long tall glass of water, this woman was a pint of whiskey.
More than that, she was completely unafraid. Of them, or of their surroundings, which meant she felt she could take on anything that came at her. Given some of the women he'd known, and her obvious inhuman traits, he was rather inclined to suspect that she could. So he holstered his own weapon again, and took her blatant appraised of them- all of them, at least- as an invitation to return the favor.
6'1" even without the 4 inch heels, perfectly balanced in them. The exposed leg and arm betrayed a musculature reserved for competitive athletes and combatants, and the rest of what was exposed was designed deliberately to leave just enough up to the imagination to be a painful tantalization. An exaggerated hourglass, maybe 45-29-45, double D. The corset didn't diminish the effect. Claws, horns, pointed tail and shadow-wings like some ancient description of Christian demons. And that third eye just sitting there on her forehead like it belonged there. She moved like a predator, and as playful as her insistence on how good she was being was, he suspected it wasn't just play-talk. She honestly considered not-kidnapping people to be specifically good behavior. Rather than, say, normal.
No wonder the Morgaine kid seemed right at home with her.
Still the implied challenge was exciting, and he met her gaze unflinching when it turned to him, returning her predatory smile with his own lopsided grin. Part of him knew he probably should be at least a little bit afraid, but, hell, he'd hunted serial murderers and rapists and escaped with little more than a few scars and some good stories. Scary or not, this broad was interesting.
He raised an eyebrow at Linex's intervention and introduction, making note of how the two 'locals' were described. And noticing that he himself was excluded from it. He might have met the boy already, but he certainly hadn't seen the lady about. At least it wasn't anything he couldn't remedy himself.
"Charmed and intrigued, Ma'am," he admitted in a laughing tone, nodding his greeting. "I'm Captain Duncan. Glad ta be meeting you on a good day, seein' as how I rather insist on having a choice where I'm going, and with who."
Leirian
Kororen bowed in brisk formality when introduced. "Greetings," he stated calmly. "I apologize if I seem rushed, but if Lady Deville is returned, then I have a task waiting for me. If no one has any immediate needs, then I must take my leave."
He waited patiently, just to make sure.
Mara
The succubus stiffened at Linex's tone. She was an embarrassment and problem to him? He thought he could give her orders and make her obey? They could do as they wished, but she had her own rules and nothing else. She smiled politely at the Captain, Connie, and Zeek. "Excuse me."
Her hand shot out and caught Linex by the collar, pulling him close rudely. Mara turned to face him as she lifted him a few inches off the ground. "I do not care about your Lady Niji, your conferences and plans. I do not answer to any of that. If you have a task, then do it. Do not presume to order me around."
"Stop." Arshan's voice resonated, followed by a sigh. Mara tsked and released Linex, turning away with a flick of her tail. She turned a glare on the rest of them. "Enjoy being sheep, dearies. Follow orders until your superiors decide they don't need someone like you anymore, whether it's your fault or not."
She nearly walked off right there, but didn't feel like giving any of them that satisfaction. Instead she went to the Captain and smiled. "We all have our stories. So, handsome, may I walk with you?"
Zeek
He nodded politely at the introductions, but all the standing around was making Zeek feel anxious. The little tiff between Mara and Linex surprised him, but seemed rather pointless. Shifting, he looked around, tail flicking idly.
"It's nice to meet you both. But, not to be rude, maybe we should get moving again..."
Linex
Linex bite down on a yelp as Mara grabbed him and he almost kicked at her... but Arshan intervened. It didn't however stop the growl that had been building up inside his throat from escaping-
And now she was talking to Ani...
His tail lashed for a second and he took a deep breathe. Mara was obviously upset by what he said... and she didn't seem to get that HE was just as upset with HER. The last time he'd really led somebody... it'd been Tyson. That had been an EPIC disaster and their situation here was at times only a bit better. Right now he had MORE lives to look after...
Thankfully Zeek brought him back to reality. Linex forced himself to stop, to put all that on the back burner. Just in time to realize Kororen was planning on going off on his own.
On the one hand, Linex wouldn't deny Kororen could MORE then take care of himself. On the other hand... protective parental-type he could be.
"... Be careful. Gimacats and at least one Gimabear have discovered the dump, and that could set them on our trail. They seem to have left, but..."