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+--- Thread: Wrapping Up (/showthread.php?tid=184243)
RE: Wrapping Up - Toaster - 10-29-2020
"Kind of an asshole," Beige whispered with a suppressed giggle as he leaned in close to Olivia. She gave him a warning glare before following after Morreti.
"Don't be so hard on Blue," she explained when she caught up to the Xeno. "He's seen enough senseless slaughter for several lifetimes." Olivia glanced at Cobra as she strode beside him, predicting what sort of snide answer he might give. "No witty remarks about us being hypocritical mercenaries, please."
She chuckled quietly.
Ames felt very different without the corridors bustling with crowds from all over Sirius. Now, only a few Zoners passed by them, interspersed with the occasional criminal gang member. Olivia felt a strange mix of relief and vulnerability as they walked down the semi-deserted hallways. Something nagged her in the back of her mind. But perhaps it was just Beige, lithely skipping behind them, whistling a tune she recognized as belonging to a song about a traveling Cretan recalling the voluptuous curves of his lover.
"Don't be so hard on Blue," she explained when she caught up to the Xeno. "He's seen enough senseless slaughter for several lifetimes." Olivia glanced at Cobra as she strode beside him, predicting what sort of snide answer he might give. "No witty remarks about us being hypocritical mercenaries, please."
She chuckled quietly.
Ames felt very different without the corridors bustling with crowds from all over Sirius. Now, only a few Zoners passed by them, interspersed with the occasional criminal gang member. Olivia felt a strange mix of relief and vulnerability as they walked down the semi-deserted hallways. Something nagged her in the back of her mind. But perhaps it was just Beige, lithely skipping behind them, whistling a tune she recognized as belonging to a song about a traveling Cretan recalling the voluptuous curves of his lover.
RE: Wrapping Up - Reeves - 10-29-2020
Somewhat unexpectedly, he would reach out and hold Olivia by the shoulder for a moment, a silent guarantee that he would not make the comment she saw as the most predictable from him in the moment. "He's just very naive to think we do all this without cause, such as the weight of pain and trauma. There's a certain anger you're left with when everything else you had's been taken away from you. All the more so when you live under a Government that's likely to imprison you, not for crimes committed, but for who you are." There was something insightful about the way he put it, like he had personal experience in the matter despite his carefully crafted facade, or perhaps he'd just been a close observer to the trends that Liberty shamelessly perpetrated. A sliver of truth existed, something had to push people to this level of retaliation, and it was maybe enough to cause one to shudder if juxtaposed by just how harshly the Xenos felt they needed to retaliate.
"You'll find this strange, but I prefer this place the way it is now. The fact it's emptier makes it feel more full, I get to notice details that a crowd would otherwise obscure. Something about that's charming." They were close to the bar now, the door just up ahead of them. Passing through that threshold revealed that the watering hole was only lightly populated. People sporting the same colors as Morreti gave him a respectful nod from their seats, others seemed disgusted by his entry.
But nobody was ambivalent.
"You'll find this strange, but I prefer this place the way it is now. The fact it's emptier makes it feel more full, I get to notice details that a crowd would otherwise obscure. Something about that's charming." They were close to the bar now, the door just up ahead of them. Passing through that threshold revealed that the watering hole was only lightly populated. People sporting the same colors as Morreti gave him a respectful nod from their seats, others seemed disgusted by his entry.
But nobody was ambivalent.
RE: Wrapping Up - Toaster - 10-29-2020
"Wow, this place sure has a fun atmosphere," Beige remarked with a laugh as he walked past the two towards the bar. The mercenary was in a particularly quippy mood, Olivia observed. But she trusted him not to take it too far and get them all turned on by the small crowd of rebels that inhabited the establishment.
"It certainly feels a bit...," Olivia spent a second searching for the correct term to describe Ames' current condition, "homelier."
She followed Beige to the counter, hailing the bartender with an outstretched hand. She nudged the mercenary with an elbow and gave him another warning glare. The man simply grinned at her and shrugged before turning away to inspect the rather modestly packed shelf of liquor behind the approaching barman.
"It certainly feels a bit...," Olivia spent a second searching for the correct term to describe Ames' current condition, "homelier."
She followed Beige to the counter, hailing the bartender with an outstretched hand. She nudged the mercenary with an elbow and gave him another warning glare. The man simply grinned at her and shrugged before turning away to inspect the rather modestly packed shelf of liquor behind the approaching barman.
RE: Wrapping Up - Reeves - 10-29-2020
The bartender took note of the new arrivals and also recognized Morreti, who was part of their entourage. Promptly approaching them on the other side of the counter. "What'll it be? Damian, the usual?" Morreti would respond to that query with a nod. But it was unclear for the moment as to what his usual might have been. "There's not much on the shelves or on tap, but most of whatever's available these days is alright. Maybe it's just the lack of choice that forces appreciation." With Morreti now taking a seat, the arrangement would be such that Olivia was in the middle, with Beige on one side and the snake who'd invited them here on the other. It might have been better for business if Olivia had brought more of the crew along, but the crowd present certainly sufficed in order to keep the bar operational, if no longer all that profitable.
RE: Wrapping Up - Toaster - 10-30-2020
"I'm used to being disappointed by bars outside of the Taus," Olivia replied. "So a bottle of Liberty Ale will do just fine." She nodded at the bartender who produced a bottle from under the counter and slid it across the top, expertly into Olivia's waiting hand.
Beige leaned over the bar to get a better look at the assortment of available drinks, finally pointing at a rather dusty looking bottle of Cambridge Single Malt.
"Haven't had a good whisky in a while, hah!" Beige remarked, glancing over at his two drinking partners with a wide smile. "Probably won't change today." He winked at Morreti.
Olivia sighed.
"Ignore him, he's just giddy about being flush again."
With a flick of the wrist, she popped the cap off her bottle and raised it at the Xeno beside her with a nod, then on to her lips. The taste was precisely as underwhelming as she had expected, the fact that it was lukewarm not aiding it in the slightest. A harder drink would have been preferable, but she didn't want to risk getting buzzed in a location with as questionable a crowd as this.
Placing the ale back on the countertop, she turned on her stool to face Morreti, leaving Beige to his own devices behind her. She looked at Cobra expectantly.
Beige leaned over the bar to get a better look at the assortment of available drinks, finally pointing at a rather dusty looking bottle of Cambridge Single Malt.
"Haven't had a good whisky in a while, hah!" Beige remarked, glancing over at his two drinking partners with a wide smile. "Probably won't change today." He winked at Morreti.
Olivia sighed.
"Ignore him, he's just giddy about being flush again."
With a flick of the wrist, she popped the cap off her bottle and raised it at the Xeno beside her with a nod, then on to her lips. The taste was precisely as underwhelming as she had expected, the fact that it was lukewarm not aiding it in the slightest. A harder drink would have been preferable, but she didn't want to risk getting buzzed in a location with as questionable a crowd as this.
Placing the ale back on the countertop, she turned on her stool to face Morreti, leaving Beige to his own devices behind her. She looked at Cobra expectantly.
RE: Wrapping Up - Reeves - 10-30-2020
He was quiet, not even looking at her until the fact that she was observing him became apparent. Grasped within his right hand that rested atop the bar counter was perhaps the least predictable choice as far as beverages went. It was simply an artificially blue colored soda, topped off with three ice cubes. Not alcoholic in the slightest, he seemed to just drink it for enjoyment of the taste and bright color. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked simply, a little caught off guard because he must have been lost in thought for a few moments prior. The expression on his face indicated that he was confused, likely from the fact that her eyes represented a hint of expectation. And yet, despite being able to see that, he was entirely clueless as to what was expected of him.
RE: Wrapping Up - Toaster - 10-30-2020
Olivia raised her eyebrows. She knew Morreti was a bit awkward up close and it could have been endearing if it hadn't been for the fact that he was one of Liberty's most wanted criminals and had summoned her into a system now essentially controlled by terrorists. If she was going to be here, she wanted there to be a good reason for her presence. Silently sitting at a truckstop's bar, sipping what she was now fairly certain was stale beer - or piss - wasn't her idea of a good use of her time.
"You're the one who invited us," Olivia explained calmly, ignoring the childish snickering of her mercenary comrade beside her. Even Beige had caught on to the Xeno commander's odd mannerisms. "So, up to you to keep a conversation going."
"You're the one who invited us," Olivia explained calmly, ignoring the childish snickering of her mercenary comrade beside her. Even Beige had caught on to the Xeno commander's odd mannerisms. "So, up to you to keep a conversation going."
RE: Wrapping Up - Reeves - 10-30-2020
Spending a few seconds trying to think, he would eventually decide to ask the first thing that popped into his mind and see where conversation went from there. "Could you tell me about how the op went? Where was he holed up and how'd you get to him?" They were three distinct questions tightly packed together, they all shared similar context and dealt with the same subject - Pedro and his execution eight days ago. Still, Olivia hadn't been forthcoming about any of the details surrounding the event and Morreti was admittedly curious about the whole affair.
It mostly had to do with the fact that he wanted to know if there were complications or not, things which would have to be considered going forward. Rarely, if ever, did things go as planned let alone perfectly. And if he'd gotten this far, then it was certainly because he was good at adapting to the volatility of changing circumstances.
It mostly had to do with the fact that he wanted to know if there were complications or not, things which would have to be considered going forward. Rarely, if ever, did things go as planned let alone perfectly. And if he'd gotten this far, then it was certainly because he was good at adapting to the volatility of changing circumstances.
RE: Wrapping Up - Toaster - 10-30-2020
Son of a bitch, Olivia thought to herself when Morreti finally spoke up. Reminiscing about her mission on Crete was at the very bottom of her list of things she wanted to do. Even Beige, listening in on their conversation, seemed disinclined, his perpetually joyful face souring.
Olivia took another big swig of ale and sighed.
"It went fine, pretty much as planned. Casualties were...," she hesitated, recalling the ragged faces of her comrades as they disembarked their dropship on Freeport 1. "Acceptable."
Beige muttered an obscenity under his breath.
"Pedro was laying low at his mansion on Crete," Olivia continued. "Hired a company of mercenaries of his own and a bunch of Corsairs to protect him. There was a village nearby that he 'controlled' and used as a site for an artifact extraction operation. The plan was simple enough. One team assaulted the village, baited Pedro and his men out of his estate, the other team infiltrated the villa."
She paused, unconsciously tapping a finger at the bottle of ale before her. Images of the mansion's interior flashed before her eyes - the rich marble floor, the bright red carpets, the smoke and dust, the blood and bodies.
"I went to find his daughter. Young girl, nine years old. Pedro returned when he found out about the distraction. Walked in on me holding a gun to the kid's head. Traded his life for hers."
Olivia raised the bottle to her lips and held it there.
"Surprisingly decent."
She threw her head back and finished off the ale. Beige, in uncharacteristic somberness, raised his glass of whisky in a silent toast.
Olivia took another big swig of ale and sighed.
"It went fine, pretty much as planned. Casualties were...," she hesitated, recalling the ragged faces of her comrades as they disembarked their dropship on Freeport 1. "Acceptable."
Beige muttered an obscenity under his breath.
"Pedro was laying low at his mansion on Crete," Olivia continued. "Hired a company of mercenaries of his own and a bunch of Corsairs to protect him. There was a village nearby that he 'controlled' and used as a site for an artifact extraction operation. The plan was simple enough. One team assaulted the village, baited Pedro and his men out of his estate, the other team infiltrated the villa."
She paused, unconsciously tapping a finger at the bottle of ale before her. Images of the mansion's interior flashed before her eyes - the rich marble floor, the bright red carpets, the smoke and dust, the blood and bodies.
"I went to find his daughter. Young girl, nine years old. Pedro returned when he found out about the distraction. Walked in on me holding a gun to the kid's head. Traded his life for hers."
Olivia raised the bottle to her lips and held it there.
"Surprisingly decent."
She threw her head back and finished off the ale. Beige, in uncharacteristic somberness, raised his glass of whisky in a silent toast.
RE: Wrapping Up - Reeves - 10-30-2020
Morreti nodded with the conclusion of Olivia's patient elaboration, not pressing for more elaborate details or really commenting on the circumstances much. Still, he felt there was something to be expressed. "Now there's two girls in this world who are fatherless. Can't help but feel like the second one is going to track us all down one day.. and return the favor." Vengeance was a natural reaction to this grand string of events that had started out simply enough, Pedro was by all means a horrible human being, but his life still mattered to somebody else. Taking it away had now left an urge that would no doubt come back around full circle some day. Uncharacteristic for him as well, he didn't blame the mercenaries for making the choice they did, such was their right. He accepted things for what they were, not neglecting the ramifications of the actions he took either.
From the look in his eyes, he seemed to drift off again, thinking about something he would not make the effort to disclose the details of. Revealing vulnerability was not something he ever resorted to, it was unbecoming of the nature that his position entailed and all it did was serve to invite unwanted attention. "Any plans on what you're going to do with all the money?" He asked, deliberately changing the subject and diverting attention from himself.
From the look in his eyes, he seemed to drift off again, thinking about something he would not make the effort to disclose the details of. Revealing vulnerability was not something he ever resorted to, it was unbecoming of the nature that his position entailed and all it did was serve to invite unwanted attention. "Any plans on what you're going to do with all the money?" He asked, deliberately changing the subject and diverting attention from himself.