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+--- Thread: Backwater Blues (/showthread.php?tid=187341)
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Backwater Blues - Hemlocke - 04-09-2021
![[Image: Onyx.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/588485680687087617/588520993023328257/Onyx.png)
Ames Research Station
Bar
4/2/828
It had been a long week's travel from the Freeport 6 through the utterly xenophobic Kusari down to Ames. Onyx being the utterly unhealthy individual she was, rarely slept, due to her inability to feel secure in any situation, looking over her back constantly even in the safety of her own ship, a habit she picked up after her escape from Liberty during the nomad war all those years ago. Her wild ashen hair was unkept, self-trimmed and uneven, her ghostly complexion was what drew most of the unwanted gazes, even despite the fact she heaved around a railgun. It was a tell she had a lack of self respect or concern for her own well being carrying such a weapon, that could gravely injure her, but it also told she didn't want her target getting off the floor after the first shot. Her combat armor was simple, metallic, partially rusted and beaten, wearing a lower face mask that matched her armor making her look much like an outcast on first glance. She was an open book, stowed away in the corner of the bar, back to the wall to give her clear eyeshot at anyone in the room with her, and only removed her mask to sip the whiskey she was so fond of, her hair completely covering the right side of her face as her dead left eye gazed over the room out of sheer paranoia, even despite her relaxed posture.
RE: Backwater Blues - Reeves - 04-09-2021
Coming to this station was always hit or miss, either it brought back memories which stung or the whole point of coming here was spoiled on account of surprise guests who had several other viable and perhaps more effective alternatives. The few warships hiding in the greasy cracks of Kepler's murky embrace came across as hollow tokens. If they crossed the red line that was the border, then most would not return to their home ports for one reason or another.
Walking into the bar caused mixed reactions, some of the residents grew visibly tense, a few sneered and an even smaller few seemed to regard the new entry with respect. Despite the tension, it didn't seem like he was here to cause any trouble and just felt the need to stretch his legs and enjoy some downtime while in the system. Evidently that wasn't going to be the case, at least not quite, owed to all the impromptu visitors. "Seat taken?" Clearly he had the same idea as the sleep deprived and honestly quite ghoulish looking individual occupying this booth in the far corner.
Walking into the bar caused mixed reactions, some of the residents grew visibly tense, a few sneered and an even smaller few seemed to regard the new entry with respect. Despite the tension, it didn't seem like he was here to cause any trouble and just felt the need to stretch his legs and enjoy some downtime while in the system. Evidently that wasn't going to be the case, at least not quite, owed to all the impromptu visitors. "Seat taken?" Clearly he had the same idea as the sleep deprived and honestly quite ghoulish looking individual occupying this booth in the far corner.
RE: Backwater Blues - Hemlocke - 04-09-2021
The woman's paranoid deadpan stare was caught by the man who entered, rapidly taking into account the change in tone that came with him, yet, it wasn't all that great of a shift. Almost like he blended in seamlessly to this place. Her gaze followed him, then as he moved toward her. Her defensive nature didn't trigger, she didn't sense violent intent, even still, she watched him for a few moments as if out of intrigue as he stood before her, observing his body language and form before she cleared her throat a bit.
Her voice emerged, sounding just as bad as she looked, a heavy undertone of raw pain and restriction to her otherwise normal sounding voice. She was from Liberty, despite not even remotely looking the part, her reply to the stranger was simple. "All yours."
Her voice emerged, sounding just as bad as she looked, a heavy undertone of raw pain and restriction to her otherwise normal sounding voice. She was from Liberty, despite not even remotely looking the part, her reply to the stranger was simple. "All yours."
RE: Backwater Blues - Reeves - 04-09-2021
He sat quietly, keeping to himself and not even looking in her direction unless he saw somebody's silhouette dart across the wall behind her. When somebody approached him regarding beverages or food he'd order a soda of all things rather than alcohol or anything of the sort.
Though as a small token of courtesy he would mutter a response. "Thank you." The hooded serpent insignias on either shoulder of his uniform openly betrayed where his allegiances lay, not that he was trying to be subtle at all. When his "drink" arrived it was a bright blue fizzy drink with plenty of ice in it, he seemed to enjoy the simple luxury of drinking the sugar flavored water in peace.
Though as a small token of courtesy he would mutter a response. "Thank you." The hooded serpent insignias on either shoulder of his uniform openly betrayed where his allegiances lay, not that he was trying to be subtle at all. When his "drink" arrived it was a bright blue fizzy drink with plenty of ice in it, he seemed to enjoy the simple luxury of drinking the sugar flavored water in peace.
RE: Backwater Blues - Hemlocke - 04-09-2021
She watched as the man sat down, before returning her gaze to the rest of the bar, just as paranoid as when he entered. She took a sip of her whiskey, before her face contorted in pain, though she tried to hide it, her gaze setting on the stranger as the sign of injury showed. Up until she was able to return to an emotionless face, she looked away again. The insignia was something she had seen long ago, this man was a Xeno, however strangely, he looked nothing like one, too neat, too polite, he didn't even seem to be bothered by her outsider appearance.
There was a subtle pained whine or wheeze as she swallowed at random, not sipping from her whiskey that time, though it might've given away there was a problem internally she was hiding from the man way too close for comfort. She decided to speak again in attempt to draw any possible attention away from her injury, her voice down a level from before as a courtesy. "You don't... look like a Xeno."
There was a subtle pained whine or wheeze as she swallowed at random, not sipping from her whiskey that time, though it might've given away there was a problem internally she was hiding from the man way too close for comfort. She decided to speak again in attempt to draw any possible attention away from her injury, her voice down a level from before as a courtesy. "You don't... look like a Xeno."
RE: Backwater Blues - Reeves - 04-09-2021
He shrugged, taking a gulp of his drink and eventually brought a hand up to rid himself of a small case of helmet hair. The statement itself was something he would shrug at, as if he'd heard it before and thought nothing of it. Clearly he wasn't offended by the assertion either, because by all logical points of view he was atypical for the sort of people he associated with. He registered somewhere more on the side of the people Xenos would hate and want dead - a blue eyed corporate boy who made a living and a killing off the honest person's back. Yet here he was, wearing a mark that tied him to them and fighting their fight.
"Guess you can chalk that up to me being part of the 'new wave' or whatever you deem appropriate." The irony there is that his methods were definitively old school, the only unorthodoxy came from his tone and appearance. But appearances could be deceiving.
"Guess you can chalk that up to me being part of the 'new wave' or whatever you deem appropriate." The irony there is that his methods were definitively old school, the only unorthodoxy came from his tone and appearance. But appearances could be deceiving.
RE: Backwater Blues - Hemlocke - 04-09-2021
She had relaxed somewhat with the demeanor displayed by the man, entirely unintentionally, he hadn't immediately scoped out her weak points, he seemed to not care at all. She finally stopped glancing at him every few seconds, returning to her relaxed posture as she watched the rest of the bar, scanning for anyone that might be looking their direction.
Onyx took another sip from her whiskey glass, remaining silent for a moment, before decided to speak again, despite her usually anti-social and silent disposition to public places, the stranger was a walking enigma that planted so many questions in her mind that she couldn't ignore. "You don't much behave like on either... you're different, yet the same. You don't scream "Liberty" to me. She realized the irony in what she had said immediately, saying something that was considered to commonly be a Xeno phraseology, she looked down to register that for a moment, before looking back up to continue her dead stare over the bar "Suppose I don't either."
Onyx took another sip from her whiskey glass, remaining silent for a moment, before decided to speak again, despite her usually anti-social and silent disposition to public places, the stranger was a walking enigma that planted so many questions in her mind that she couldn't ignore. "You don't much behave like on either... you're different, yet the same. You don't scream "Liberty" to me. She realized the irony in what she had said immediately, saying something that was considered to commonly be a Xeno phraseology, she looked down to register that for a moment, before looking back up to continue her dead stare over the bar "Suppose I don't either."
RE: Backwater Blues - Reeves - 04-09-2021
Oddly enough he smirked at her statement that he was nothing like what was expected of Liberty, evidently taking it as a compliment. The logic under the surface was that the Liberty that masqueraded as a House was not the same Liberty the Xenos believed it. Their vision for the ideology and even the state was a direct antithesis across a multitude of regards. And ultimately this resulted in the greatest of poetic ironies, making the Xenos technically foreign or alien in their own Home. They were simply too different from the status quo.
"Good, because the typical Liberty and I are different breeds." Despite this clarification that he appreciated the statement, he didn't comment on the fact that she was different too, he felt it was unnecessary because his answer was a precedent. And if said precedent was carried forward, then the impact of the statement being a compliment went both ways. It was like chess but with words, a nuance that would likely go entirely over somebody's head.
"Good, because the typical Liberty and I are different breeds." Despite this clarification that he appreciated the statement, he didn't comment on the fact that she was different too, he felt it was unnecessary because his answer was a precedent. And if said precedent was carried forward, then the impact of the statement being a compliment went both ways. It was like chess but with words, a nuance that would likely go entirely over somebody's head.
RE: Backwater Blues - Hemlocke - 04-09-2021
She didn't smirk, but her tone changed a tad indicating the return was received. She turned her gaze to look at him, the right side of her face still covered by her barely kept and wild hair, in comparison to the stranger, she was a back alley hoodrat, despite the tech she had on her at the moment. Less than presentable yet the stranger conversed with her anyway, perhaps it was because of his allegiance that his mind was open enough to do so, he saw a hint of deep red hue behind the hair as she finally looked him dead on, probably her right "eye"
"I left a long time ago now, It's a little surprising to hear it hasn't changed at all. Though I guess it shouldn't be. When I left for the Omicrons, I got a better view of the clockwork than I did from inside the machine."
"I left a long time ago now, It's a little surprising to hear it hasn't changed at all. Though I guess it shouldn't be. When I left for the Omicrons, I got a better view of the clockwork than I did from inside the machine."
RE: Backwater Blues - Reeves - 04-09-2021
Gulping down more of the blue fizzy drink while she spoke produced a clinging noise as the ice hit the glass in protest to his movements. If he was judging her for her appearance, then at the very least he was doing a good job of covering it up with a convincing facade. But this would imply a sense of rehearsal, and their discussion was too impromptu for that to be plausible. It also stood as testimony that his nature was inherently reclusive, choosing to speak only when spoken to and perfectly willing to ignore her being there otherwise.
"Things have changed, but the more they change the more they feel the same. I feel like we've made progress as a cause, but the nature of the struggle has never changed. The odds are still far from kind. The paradox of life, really." He wasn't naive enough to believe that he could change the world in its entirety, nor did he want to. It didn't seem like he had any grand ambitions at all beyond being a wrench, as simple as that was. His purpose was to be counterproductive to the purposes of those delusional enough to lull themselves into thinking they could control the way life worked. In Liberty's context, this means of control was wealth and luxury.
"Things have changed, but the more they change the more they feel the same. I feel like we've made progress as a cause, but the nature of the struggle has never changed. The odds are still far from kind. The paradox of life, really." He wasn't naive enough to believe that he could change the world in its entirety, nor did he want to. It didn't seem like he had any grand ambitions at all beyond being a wrench, as simple as that was. His purpose was to be counterproductive to the purposes of those delusional enough to lull themselves into thinking they could control the way life worked. In Liberty's context, this means of control was wealth and luxury.