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+--- Thread: Renewed Discourse (/showthread.php?tid=186694)
Renewed Discourse - Toaster - 03-07-2021
"Welcome back," the dockmaster greeted Olivia as she dropped out of the cockpit onto the grimy deck below. Over the racket of a dozen other ships being handled around them, she could still make out the tired whine of her Sutinga's engines winding down after a wild chase through the Barrier. With a sigh, she nodded a greeting to the portly man and handed him a credit chit for fuel and maintenance.
"A few credits extra," Olivia muttered. "Had a bit of a run-in with some Outcasts."
The dockmaster nodded with a smile and pocketed the chit.
"She'll be like new in a few hours," he remarked and waved over a team of dockhands. Olivia spent a moment watching them get to work on her ship, making sure they properly applied the fuel hose. Then she glanced around the hangar.
Barrier Gate Station. One of the closest place she, like many people of her profession, had to a home. No house laws, cheap fuel, and cheaper drinks attracted a wide assortment of visitors, be they smugglers, freelancers, mercenaries, pirates, or anything in between. An odd shared sense of common courtesy kept the diverse population from tearing itself and the station apart.
Olivia couldn't help but smile as she beheld the organized chaos of the hangar. People of all creeds and affiliations hurrying about their ships; cargo containers with god knows what content being shuffled about with fuel pods and ammo racks; all the while the dockmaster and his teams maintaining order and ensuring that nothing blew up in the bustle. It reminded the mercenary of the freeport she grew up on, if a little more chaotic.
Satisfied with her nostalgia trip, she headed out of the hangar and into the busy corridors hewn into the asteroids that made up most of the station's structure. She soon arrived at a small plaza at the rock's center, a town square of sorts where small businesses, shops, and kiosks could offer their goods and services to the many travelers that came through the place. At the far end, Olivia spied the grand neon sign of the Tupperware Inn, the - in her opinion - only respectable drinking hole in the entire place. She slipped in with a crowd of Kusarian smugglers and headed towards the bar, greeting the barman with a smile. He nodded at her in return and got to preparing her usual drink, a cocktail usually only found in the northern Taus.
Waiting for him to finish, Olivia took a seat on one of the high stools, turned to face the establishment, and watched the crowd.
"A few credits extra," Olivia muttered. "Had a bit of a run-in with some Outcasts."
The dockmaster nodded with a smile and pocketed the chit.
"She'll be like new in a few hours," he remarked and waved over a team of dockhands. Olivia spent a moment watching them get to work on her ship, making sure they properly applied the fuel hose. Then she glanced around the hangar.
Barrier Gate Station. One of the closest place she, like many people of her profession, had to a home. No house laws, cheap fuel, and cheaper drinks attracted a wide assortment of visitors, be they smugglers, freelancers, mercenaries, pirates, or anything in between. An odd shared sense of common courtesy kept the diverse population from tearing itself and the station apart.
Olivia couldn't help but smile as she beheld the organized chaos of the hangar. People of all creeds and affiliations hurrying about their ships; cargo containers with god knows what content being shuffled about with fuel pods and ammo racks; all the while the dockmaster and his teams maintaining order and ensuring that nothing blew up in the bustle. It reminded the mercenary of the freeport she grew up on, if a little more chaotic.
Satisfied with her nostalgia trip, she headed out of the hangar and into the busy corridors hewn into the asteroids that made up most of the station's structure. She soon arrived at a small plaza at the rock's center, a town square of sorts where small businesses, shops, and kiosks could offer their goods and services to the many travelers that came through the place. At the far end, Olivia spied the grand neon sign of the Tupperware Inn, the - in her opinion - only respectable drinking hole in the entire place. She slipped in with a crowd of Kusarian smugglers and headed towards the bar, greeting the barman with a smile. He nodded at her in return and got to preparing her usual drink, a cocktail usually only found in the northern Taus.
Waiting for him to finish, Olivia took a seat on one of the high stools, turned to face the establishment, and watched the crowd.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Reeves - 03-07-2021
Damien's eagle was recognized instantly upon requesting access to dock with the station. It was no so long ago that he thrust himself and the movement at large into Coronado to defend the system's continued independence from what seemed to be a growing case of the Crayterian Republic's occupation. A trend that has remained even after the IMG's presence in the system had been secured quite comfortably. It had garnered him a loose amount of respect with the bootleggers and smugglers who ran the place and felt threatened by potential encroachment, but the diverse crowd had equally diverse opinions about his kind, primarily being contempt or hatred.
All the same, he'd elected to remove the symbols of his allegiance from his flight suit, the slight bit of wear and tear still revealing the outlines of broken stars on either shoulder, but besides that he would blend in quite well. Though it would be obvious he wasn't from around here, let alone an ordinary sort of man. When he arrived at the bar, he knew where the person he'd come here to meet was and approached that section of the table to order a drink and announce his presence to her. "Sidewinder fang, please." It was a serpent's choice after all. But Damien didn't drink often and moreover didn't seem to even like drinking. So it cast doubt on what exactly had prompted him into considering this a good idea, a recent change in behavior perhaps? Impossible to tell, but that was a consistent trend with him at this point.
Regardless, it was clear he was here now and he'd soon enough join Olivia on the stool immediately to her right.
All the same, he'd elected to remove the symbols of his allegiance from his flight suit, the slight bit of wear and tear still revealing the outlines of broken stars on either shoulder, but besides that he would blend in quite well. Though it would be obvious he wasn't from around here, let alone an ordinary sort of man. When he arrived at the bar, he knew where the person he'd come here to meet was and approached that section of the table to order a drink and announce his presence to her. "Sidewinder fang, please." It was a serpent's choice after all. But Damien didn't drink often and moreover didn't seem to even like drinking. So it cast doubt on what exactly had prompted him into considering this a good idea, a recent change in behavior perhaps? Impossible to tell, but that was a consistent trend with him at this point.
Regardless, it was clear he was here now and he'd soon enough join Olivia on the stool immediately to her right.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Toaster - 03-07-2021
Olivia didn't turn to face the Xeno as he took his seat beside her, opting instead to continue looking out over the bar's throng of patrons. Behind her, the barman placed her chosen drink on a coaster.
It had been several months since Olivia and the Cobra had been in contact with each other, much less met face to face. The last time had been a strange experience for her, and - so she surmised - no less so for Damien. She refrained from speculating what this meeting was about; why the Xeno was so interested in seeing and talking with her again. She only hoped that it wouldn't involve anything too unpleasant this time. No more hunts for corrupt cops, no more artifact smuggling crime lords, no more unexpected stories of heartbreak.
Truth be told, it was that kind of business that had driven Olivia out of Liberty and back into the old, familiar Taus in the first place. She prayed that it wouldn't chase after her out here, too.
"So, here we are," she stated simply, foregoing a greeting. She finally shot the man a sidelong glance. "Both still in one piece."
It had been several months since Olivia and the Cobra had been in contact with each other, much less met face to face. The last time had been a strange experience for her, and - so she surmised - no less so for Damien. She refrained from speculating what this meeting was about; why the Xeno was so interested in seeing and talking with her again. She only hoped that it wouldn't involve anything too unpleasant this time. No more hunts for corrupt cops, no more artifact smuggling crime lords, no more unexpected stories of heartbreak.
Truth be told, it was that kind of business that had driven Olivia out of Liberty and back into the old, familiar Taus in the first place. She prayed that it wouldn't chase after her out here, too.
"So, here we are," she stated simply, foregoing a greeting. She finally shot the man a sidelong glance. "Both still in one piece."
RE: Renewed Discourse - Reeves - 03-08-2021
A slow nod came in response to that at first, though he did eventually turn to look at her more directly. To him it appeared as being here put her in better spirits than all the other places they had usually met, as if she enjoyed her time in this place. Not seeing anything special about what was essentially a den for smugglers and wanderers, he couldn't help but wonder why it had this impact on her.
It would still take a while longer for Damien to be served the drink he ordered, which entailed a small degree of preparation, it was long enough for him to respond to her first words which substituted the traditional hello. "It does seem to be that way, yes. It's nice to see you again, even if it hits me with the world's worst case of anxiety." The second comment was odd for his nature, the first was a mere admission that warranted no further consideration.
With an established reputation for being cool headed even under pressure, it just didn't seem right for him to be overly concerned about anything. Hadn't he also tried to make it seem like none of this really mattered to him as well? Perhaps he had mostly tried to convince himself of that fact.
It would still take a while longer for Damien to be served the drink he ordered, which entailed a small degree of preparation, it was long enough for him to respond to her first words which substituted the traditional hello. "It does seem to be that way, yes. It's nice to see you again, even if it hits me with the world's worst case of anxiety." The second comment was odd for his nature, the first was a mere admission that warranted no further consideration.
With an established reputation for being cool headed even under pressure, it just didn't seem right for him to be overly concerned about anything. Hadn't he also tried to make it seem like none of this really mattered to him as well? Perhaps he had mostly tried to convince himself of that fact.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Toaster - 03-08-2021
Olivia rolled her eyes at the comment. She turned in her stool, facing again towards the bar, and inspected the drink that had been deposited before her. A tall glass filled to the brim with a slightly viscous liquid, a gradient of dark blue to completely clear from top to bottom. At the bottom of the glass rested a single, golf ball-sized rock. She smirked at the sight of it. The barman had gone the extra mile for authenticity.
"And why's that?" The mercenary asked with feigned obliviousness. She took a hold of the glass and raised it to her lips, taking only a small sip and savoring a flavor she hadn't tasted in ages.
"And why's that?" The mercenary asked with feigned obliviousness. She took a hold of the glass and raised it to her lips, taking only a small sip and savoring a flavor she hadn't tasted in ages.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Reeves - 03-08-2021
With his drink finally delivered to him he would take a long sip, contemplating how to best explain the reasons why he felt like that as the burn went down his throat and caused him to squint slightly afterwards. "Well, it just seems awful easy for us to end up at odds with each other. And I don't want to screw this up again, I'm trying this time around and it feels like there's things at stake. And that scares me." It sounded like an honest confession, expressed with an odd mixture of shame and humility. Did he view this as a bad thing? That the fear of a burned bridge was weakness, or was it just the probability of them walking away with their minds made up about one another.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Toaster - 03-08-2021
She took a second, longer sip, entertained by the quiet rattle of the small asteroid shard within the glass as she tilted it to her mouth. Swallowing it with a satisfied sigh, she replaced the drink on the bartop and stared at it, her gaze tranquil, as though momentarily lost in thought.
"You know what this is?" Olivia asked, not expecting or even waiting for an answer. "It's called the 'Roid Rocker. You usually only find it up in the northern Taus."
She picked the glass up again and gave it a gentle swirl, watching the blue top layers slowly mix with the clear liquid below. The rock tumbled around the bottom, slowly, like an asteroid through a field.
"Used to drink it a lot - back when I still lived on Freeport 10," she continued. "Noted down the recipe when I left and have asked for it to be made at every station's bar that I happened to end up at for more than a few days."
Finally, she set the glass down again and turned to face Damien.
"I like to dwell on the past, for better or for worse," Olivia admitted. "I'm sure you've noticed." She smirked sarcastically. "Our past isn't exactly the most pleasant, don't you think?"
"You know what this is?" Olivia asked, not expecting or even waiting for an answer. "It's called the 'Roid Rocker. You usually only find it up in the northern Taus."
She picked the glass up again and gave it a gentle swirl, watching the blue top layers slowly mix with the clear liquid below. The rock tumbled around the bottom, slowly, like an asteroid through a field.
"Used to drink it a lot - back when I still lived on Freeport 10," she continued. "Noted down the recipe when I left and have asked for it to be made at every station's bar that I happened to end up at for more than a few days."
Finally, she set the glass down again and turned to face Damien.
"I like to dwell on the past, for better or for worse," Olivia admitted. "I'm sure you've noticed." She smirked sarcastically. "Our past isn't exactly the most pleasant, don't you think?"
RE: Renewed Discourse - Reeves - 03-08-2021
Patiently, he listened to her brief explanation regarding the drink she was having, finding the concept novel and well thought out. "Not had any 'roid rockers before. Almost sounds like something the IMG would come up with." On the exterior, he seemed perfectly normal, whatever he was feeling was tucked away well enough behind the usual facade of cool headedness. But his eyes were the only thing that couldn't follow suit in that regard, betraying a sense of pressure.
"It isn't, not hard to see that. But can we start over?" A blank slate seemed far more preferable over the alternative of either of them dwelling on the things that had made their encounters strenuous. If the two were a coin, they would be either side of the same one. One stuck in moments long past, the other caught up in ideas of what could be.
"It isn't, not hard to see that. But can we start over?" A blank slate seemed far more preferable over the alternative of either of them dwelling on the things that had made their encounters strenuous. If the two were a coin, they would be either side of the same one. One stuck in moments long past, the other caught up in ideas of what could be.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Toaster - 03-08-2021
Olivia locked eyes with Damien, gazing deep into his. She liked to believe that she was a people-person; that she could read a person's intentions from off their face. She knew, however, that she failed as often as she succeeded. The Xeno's eyes, however, betrayed that he was being sincere - this much was obvious even to her.
She hesitated. He was a terrorist, whether he called himself as much or not. Every day, he and his followers killed innocent people in the pursuit of a cause they deemed more worthy than the lives they took. She had dealt with people like that before. Murderers. Monsters. Pedro. Could she look past the acts Damien committed and establish what some might consider a 'normal' relationship with him? How, knowing what he did? Perhaps if he was only a mere grunt, he could be reformed. But instead, he was the leader of the Xeno's most prominent cell, the man behind the cause.
And yet.
Here he was, doing what he did worst. Displaying humanity. Vulnerability. Under these rare circumstances that Olivia had only witnessed a few times before, he seemed like just any other man, suffering from the same emotions that everyone else had to deal with on a daily basis.
She sighed.
"I can't just forget what you are," Olivia finally replied, turning back to her drink.
She hesitated. He was a terrorist, whether he called himself as much or not. Every day, he and his followers killed innocent people in the pursuit of a cause they deemed more worthy than the lives they took. She had dealt with people like that before. Murderers. Monsters. Pedro. Could she look past the acts Damien committed and establish what some might consider a 'normal' relationship with him? How, knowing what he did? Perhaps if he was only a mere grunt, he could be reformed. But instead, he was the leader of the Xeno's most prominent cell, the man behind the cause.
And yet.
Here he was, doing what he did worst. Displaying humanity. Vulnerability. Under these rare circumstances that Olivia had only witnessed a few times before, he seemed like just any other man, suffering from the same emotions that everyone else had to deal with on a daily basis.
She sighed.
"I can't just forget what you are," Olivia finally replied, turning back to her drink.
RE: Renewed Discourse - Reeves - 03-08-2021
He didn't shy away from returning the locked gaze, with his two blue eyes almost being perfectly motionless and entirely fixated. Even when she turned away back to her drink, he would remain turned somewhat in her direction. "I know. But at the very least don't forget everything else about what I am." The way he worded it and the tone he adopted sounded more like a plea rather than a request let alone a demand.
"I know you don't like what I do. Just at least consider what it must be like for me to be this caricature as the Cobra, but never really have a chance to be me. My position isolates me, my allegiance even more so. In the end it's a struggle to even keep track of myself let alone feel like I'm connected to anything. I just want to be me, and for somebody to see me as that much instead of a persona that will consume me if this carries on.." He had never confessed this to anyone before, the fact that his position and pivotal role were taking an unseen yet tremendous toll on his mental health, especially after his sudden exposure to what must have been a bitter revelation to what lay beyond the threshold of psychopathy.
Having expressed this however, he would finally turn back to his drink, seemingly conceding and already expecting for some form of backlash for what he'd said. Quietly, he would wait to hear whatever string of condemnations would come next.
"I know you don't like what I do. Just at least consider what it must be like for me to be this caricature as the Cobra, but never really have a chance to be me. My position isolates me, my allegiance even more so. In the end it's a struggle to even keep track of myself let alone feel like I'm connected to anything. I just want to be me, and for somebody to see me as that much instead of a persona that will consume me if this carries on.." He had never confessed this to anyone before, the fact that his position and pivotal role were taking an unseen yet tremendous toll on his mental health, especially after his sudden exposure to what must have been a bitter revelation to what lay beyond the threshold of psychopathy.
Having expressed this however, he would finally turn back to his drink, seemingly conceding and already expecting for some form of backlash for what he'd said. Quietly, he would wait to hear whatever string of condemnations would come next.