A Siren's Call

Discussion in 'Role Play' started by halisme, Mar 6, 2017.

  1. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    In his head, Mello replayed Siren's words, bringing himself up to speed on what he'd missed. His auditory functions were working fine, so he didn't really 'miss' anything, he just wasn't paying attention at the time it was said. He was aware he could do this, despite asking her to repeat it all. Maybe he just wanted to hear her voice again. She wasn't called 'siren' for nothing.

    Actually, that could go both ways. Maybe she was like an air raid siren, an abnoxious, nerve-shattering herald of danger. No, Mello thought as he tucked away his notebook for safe keeping. That's not a nice way to think of one I call 'friend.' Speaking of which, he really needed to get these people's name's. Siren, Fishface, and Abel Ward were the only ones he knew.

    But first, their gilded leader wanted them to make a choice. Focus.

    Mello raised his hand, like a kid in school. "I vote for the cannon," he said. "Mr. Abel Ward makes many good points... though, I wonder... is he, perhaps... biased?" His eyes looked Abel up and down, slowly, as if considering something. "He seems rather fond of... cannons, big ones. However, his skill in carrying around obscenely large weapons will come in handy."
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2017
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  2. Fan7asticMrFox

    Fan7asticMrFox Contributor Contributor

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    Well this all seems jolly. It sounds like everyone is getting ready for a good old fashioned adventure, full of frolicking and whimsy. Ariel rolled her eyes a little. We find ourselves deep within the pit stain of the Lenden Bazaar, hidden away down some back alley in a shady ass bar and no one's asked the single most important question.

    "So what's in it for me?" Ariel stomped her feet back down and leaned in with a glint in her eye. "Minos' legendary treasure horde - unfathomable riches of an entire civilization - all floating out there in space. Now I want a piece of that action."

    She dared to look each member in the eye, a wry smile on her face, trying to glimpse a little out of each of them. Is this the best the criminal underworld had to offer. Did they have the grit to get through this? Who was the liability? Her face soured when she crossed eyes with the Eltheni, before finally she rested on Siren, and though the Synth's motionless face made Ariel's skin crawl, she held her stare. "I don't give a damn which mission Siren. Just show me the money."
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2017
  3. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    Siren gave a nod, to the two machines, before standing up from her seat and disconnecting herself from the projector. After a moment, she drew her gun from her back, the metal glinting in the light before she fired it at the projector. "No memory of where we go." She stated, before starting to walk outside. "The Purifier will likely have issue with us entering his territory, doubly so us landing on one of his worlds." She informed. "Delphi will serve as our chief negotiator in this matter. He will likely trust her more than any of us." As she spoke she gave a gesture for them to follow, heading from the lower levels to the main floor of the bazaar. While it was still loud and full of motion, certain tenseness hung in the air. Half of a dozen humans and a synth were stood a few metres outside the entrance. The human near the front spoke first, his scarred face seeming to convulse and ripple with his words. "When a tuna walked into this place, I thought that Jyn was having a laugh, but look at it. Actually one here, on this world of all of them. How about we repay the favour for what they did for us lads?"
     
  4. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    During the conversation, Abel constantly made small adjustments to his initial impression of these people. The Vaari had yet to say a word. That was interesting. The Eltheni was proud. Should have known. The young nervous man was actually a nervous synth in a hurry to get this over with. The Raven seemed to be pulling a Columbo, though Abel couldn't shake the feeling that it was not an act. Siren didn't let a lot of her personality show, though he didn't miss the fact that she failed to answer the new girl's question. No, not girl. Woman. He often had trouble drawing the line between one or the other, but there was something in her eye that convinced him she belonged in the latter category.

    Ariel. He'd heard the name a few times. Could be interesting.

    Judging from how Siren went on it seemed like they were going to get the Eltheni Key first after all. That was alright. He'd given her his opinion on the matter and it was up to her to decide what to do with it. Democracy was overrated anyway.

    He was just about to ask for the others to properly introduce themselves when these punks showed up. Didn't stand a chance. Hot heads like this tend to live short lives anyway. Still, he might be able to minimize casualties for this encounter at least. The moment the front guy started talking he flipped the rifle from his back, adjusting two dials mid-swing. Maximum spread, minimal density. If they wore any kind of protection the blast shouldn't be lethal, but at the very least feel like taking an air cannon to the face.

    "... the favour for what they did for us lads?"
    "Go home boys, you don't know what you're messing with." and he pulled the trigger.
     
  5. I.A. By the Barn

    I.A. By the Barn A very lost time traveller Contributor

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    Aramis stepped back. He wasn't made for combat, in fact he was designed for evading it. This way of speaking was all too normal to Aramis now, the backstreet violence that was strangely common in animal smuggling. From the human's actions it wouldn't be long before this problem had passed. Aramis couldn't see many clues to weapons that also could be quickly drawn by these other humans. Time was the ultimate enemy here, he thought, even though he knew this was an incorrect thought pattern. You can't be enemies with a made up concept.
    Soft one was squirming and trying to bury itself in his hair. So be it, Aramis thought. At least it can do that.
     
  6. Fan7asticMrFox

    Fan7asticMrFox Contributor Contributor

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    Ariel scrunched up her face as Siren moved effortless out of the room. She had half a mind to yell some machine-headed insult, but got lost in haunting awe of Siren's delicate design, smooth gold wiring and porcelain plates. The way she moved, the sleek glide as the pink neon of the bar streaked across her. In that moment shouting abuse would have meant cracking a glistening mirror and Ariel had the strange sensation that breaking this eerie perfection would end badly for her. Plus any insults aimed at Siren would probably miss and ricochet towards the Synth human or worse, the machete heap of junk.

    Lost in her thoughts, Ariel realised that she had been left alone in the private room. Figures. The darkness of the room gave little solace to her mood. She'd taken a risk coming here; the Lenden Bazaar had a notorious reputation, its leniency towards trading laws and 'persuadable' public security made it a simmering pot for criminal activity. Axeldan no doubt had friends out here and by the way things had ended, Ariel figured she'd be high on his "GET DEM" list. He was not an especially smart Gergite. But with fortune to throw around, he was especially dangerous.

    A heavy thud rumbled from outside the private room. Ariel seized her pulse blasters. Ah no way, they found me? So quickly? She moved to edge of the opening, guiding the red velvet curtain away with one of her barrels. The heavy weaponed human had fired his load at some gathering mob of humans. Boys and their guns - when will they learn.

    She considered for a moment going outside and getting involved. The thought came and went as quickly as a painful sneeze; she'd stayed alive this long being smarter than that. Sliding her pulse blasters away, Ariel stepped up to the bar and ordered a drink. The droid bartender eyed her with suspicion but she simply shrugged, "Oh, I'm not with them. Thugs eh, whatcha ya gonna do. Am I right?"
     
  7. gibble410

    gibble410 Contributor Contributor

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    Casting a dark glance towards Aramis while exiting the room, Delphi hurried to walk next to Siren. She found brownnosing, while it may attract enemies, helped out quite a bit. "Siren, thank you for choosing me to come along. I'm glad your our leader." When they found themselves face to face with some humans, obviously picking a fight, Delphi drew her guns.

    After they spoke, Delphi called out in a jeering voice. "What will you do with us human?" She bared her teeth. "Lock us up?"
     
  8. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    No thanks, Mello thought the moment the thugs cut off their only exit route. Anyone's instinctive reaction would be to stand up for their new friends, but it took only a quick look around to realize his new friends (probably) had this in the bag. Mello had barely stepped out of the front door when these suicidal newcomers showed up. It took him a millisecond to process what was about to happen and a thousandth of a second to turn and stroll back inside.

    Haven't killed anyone in... oh, a couple of weeks or so. Let's keep it that way, he thought as he re-entered the bar. But what's a rusty old droid to do in a bar? He could pour alcoholic beverages down his gullet but that would be wasteful. Might as well pour them down someone else's. Good way to make friends, that, at least until they sober up.

    He was thinking this just as the human female exited the private room, fashionably late, and took a post by the bar. Interesting. He didn't think her a pacifist, nor a coward. If anything, he thought she'd be the first out there, shoving a blaster in someone's face. He'd read her all wrong. This required further investigation.

    Mello shambed his way across the room and rattled up beside her, just as a gunshot went off outside. Plasma cannon discharge, to be precise. Party's starting.

    "Oh, I'm not with them," the human said to the bartender. "Thugs eh, whatcha ya gonna do. Am I right?"

    "Thugs... hmmm... Let us not call them names," Mello said, methodically. "We barely know them... and, likely, never will." To the bartender, he raised one clawed metal finger. "Wiskey. Your cheapest, please. To be poured out, for the soon-to-be fallen." After a pause, he added. "Outside, of course."
     
  9. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    When Abel pulled the trigger a silence fell over the Bazar, quickly followed by the sounds of weapons being drawn that seemed to roll in a wave around them, as if they had been a drop of water in a puddle that was now arming themselves in anticipation. Very few were aimed at them of course, instead, half a dozen deals over illicit goods that were already somewhat tense had now erupted into standoffs, and shouts as people attempted to de-escalate the conversations. Siren turned to the man and, despite the fact her face was totally immobile, there was still a hint of a frown.

    The others who had appeared outside the bar had also drawn weapons of their own, though they noted that the man was not dead, though that did not decrease the tension of the conflict. "Just let us deal with the fish freak and you can be on your." The man's words were interrupted when there was another gunshot from somewhere in the background followed by another, and then another, and then an explosion. Siren quickly pulled out her carbine, delivering a shot to the leader of the group's head, before recoiling slightly as another shot her in the arm. "You just had to shoot."
     
  10. Fan7asticMrFox

    Fan7asticMrFox Contributor Contributor

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    "Thugs... hmmm... Let us not call them names," Mello said, methodically. "We barely know them... and, likely, never will." To the bartender, he raised one clawed metal finger. "Wiskey. Your cheapest, please. To be poured out, for the soon-to-be fallen."

    The bartender obliged and put the drink on the bar between herself and Mello.

    "Woah slow down there buster, let's not waste good liquor." She said swiping the whiskey, downing it in one. Ariel held herself momentarily, beaming a somewhat strained grin towards Mello. He watched her twitch a little. He watched her entire face wrinkle together and tears well in the creases of her eyes.

    "Another?" Mello asked with a slight gesture to the bartender as he stared at Ariel with cold, blank eyes.

    Ariel's eyes bulged and she huffed obnoxiously, like a youth trying a smoke for the first time. Head bent into her chest, hands clutching her thighs, she choked on the burning air. The heat sat uneasy in her stomach, from tongue to lungs her insides had been sawed away by the sandpaper liquor.

    "I shall take that as a 'no,'" he said, chuckling slightly under his breath.

    Hyperventilating through a number of risque burps, Ariel raised a sharp yet shaky finger above her bowed head. Mello waited through the coughing and spluttering - the finger still raised - until finally she resurfaced with one lifesavingly deep breath.

    "That was a sipping whiskey," he said, "something truly not meant for human consumption. If you wanted a drink, you should have asked, friend."

    "A sipping whiskey, yes." She said through raspy voice. "It had occurred to me." Ariel leaned her hands on her hips, wilting ever so slightly. The light from the neon bar signs glared and she looked at Mello a little spaced, black spots appearing on his rusted chest plates and exposed wiring.

    "Asscrack of Vaari - that's disgusting! Oh... uh, it's like paint stripper and ghost peppers mixed into one. Heh, maybe the floor would've been a better place for it." She stared at the ground, too long perhaps. "Might of burnt a hole, right?" She said with a familiar smirk, giving Mello a playful nudge with her knuckle .

    "Your courage is inspiring," Mello said, dryly. "However, I am led to wonder why you sit idly here and not out there, defending your friend from those... if you'll pardon the expression... 'thugs.' You and Fishface are acquaintances, are you not? You spoke to her with such familiarity."

    Ariel gave him a strange look.

    "Wait... is that not her name? I thought it odd, but did not wish to judge," Mello said. His voice conveyed the shock and awe that his immobile face could not. "Oh... hmmm... apologies are due."

    "Firstly, you should always call an Eltheni a Fishface." She snorted with contempt. "It's just the done thing," Ariel forgot herself for a moment and trailed off, "Slave peddling bastards."

    "And second," the rest of her original drink slunk quickly into her gullet and she eyed the bar door opening with a lazy stare, "Those guys have got it handled outside - it's just a jumped up group of humans looking for an easy brawl. Any Ass Hat with a brain could talk their way outta that so why intervene? Let me tell you Rusty-"

    "Mello." He corrected her.

    "Yea yea, as I was saying Rusty, courage isn't just about drinking, it's knowing when not to drink. Same goes for fighting."

    It was at that moment a second shot went off in the distance. Followed by a third. And a fourth. Soon the whole Bazaar flew up in arms, the ricochets echoing across the forecourt. Ariel smacked a palm to her forehead before gunslinging her pulse blasters out of their holsters with lightning speed. "Ugh... Dumbasses, the lot of them." With that Ariel wiped her mouth with her sleeve and skulked towards the opening, weapons charged.
     
  11. AnonyMouse

    AnonyMouse Contributor Contributor

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    "She's an impulsive one, isn't she?" Mello said to the bartender as the human woman dashed out of the door to join the fray. With a groan he stretched and yawned, taking a moment to listen to the symphony of gunfire outside. "They're playing my song. I suppose I am expected to dance. Good day, friend. Be well."

    With a final nod to the bartender, he paid his tab and lumbered toward the exit, clanking and grinding with each step. As Mello stepped through the door, he shed his cloak. The enormous bladed wings on his back unfurled, fanning their sword-like fingers as he walked through the chaos, like a fallen angel strolling through Hell. No one was shooting at him... yet. He deflected a few strays, redirecting them skyward where, he hoped, they would not hurt anyone.

    It didn't take him long to reach his friends... and the new friends they had made, one of whom got his head blown off by Siren. Oh, so these newcomers aren't friends of ours. I see, Mello thought as he slid a long, machete-like blade from beneath his thigh plates. He gripped it in his right hand while his left pulled a much smaller blade from beneath his chest plating. A quick flick of his wrist planted the throwing knife between the eyes of one of the attackers as he put himself between Siren and them and stretched his wings, to provide a shield. Every second or so, a bullet would ping off of his metal feathers.

    "Let me guess," Mello said. "The man with the cannon shot first." He cast a brief glance in Abel's direction. "That is... acceptable, so long as he also fires second, third, fourth... etcetera. In times like these, the follow-through is as important as the beginning, friend."
     
  12. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    "You had to shoot."

    "Isn't that what you pay me for?" He said as he bolted towards the nearest piece of cover. One of the reasons he always kept his weapon strapped to his back was so he would sufficiently get used to its weight that it hardly slowed him down.

    Both his main gun and his side-arm had too much of a kick to really provide cover fire while he was running, so he really picked the closest stall he could find to hide behind. It happened to be a human fruit vendor who was green enough that he'd never seen a firefight in the Bazaar before. You could see the fear in his eyes, covered in his own merchandise. Abel chose to ignore him for now. Now that he had a steady position again he was free to use his primary. He greatly reduced the spread and only slightly enhanced the density so he could aim properly and kill on headshots, but keep the recoil to a minimum.

    It was time he started doing what he did best. In sloppy gunfights like this there's always key targets. Even if everybody is firing, there's only a few who can't be calmed down. The instigators and the followers. The shoot-out was inevitable, but because Abel fired the first shot he got a good look around the room to see who drew due to the fight part of fight or flight, and who drew out of menace. Those were his targets. The moment he saw a throwing knife lodge into a man's skull he knew he didn't have to worry about the followers continuing the riot after this was over.
     
  13. gibble410

    gibble410 Contributor Contributor

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    As an Elphini, Delphi wasn't really used to heads getting blown off. But she had to adjust quickly because if she didn't then Delphi would fall behind. Which wasn't going to be hard, she mused observing Mello coming out of the bar. Could synths get drunk? She didnt think so.

    Delphi still had her guns in her hands, and while Siren was dealing with the thugs who nicked her arm, Delphi aimed a shot at one of the bar customers and started to fire bolts into his chest. Baring her fangs, she aimed a shot above Mello's head that ripped through the skull of another. That would be her strategy, kill as many as she could then escape. If they all started to fire back, all she had to do was run behind Sirens attackers.
     
  14. halisme

    halisme Contributor Contributor

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    Siren glanced around, scanning the surrounding area, searching for anyway through the mass of fire that had formed around them. Only two sounds existed beyond gunfire. The first the news broadcast and adverts which were still being divulged by the various speakers around the place. The second was shouts of people either trying to deescalate the conflict, or spewing insults in between barrages of their shots.

    The mech looked around for a moment, seeming to analyse the paths for them that lay between the various stalls, searching for some without gunfire, after her process ran everything, she looked over her shoulder and managed to shout "follow, now!" Over the gunfire. With that, she started to sprint towards a structure to the left, a stall made up of old pipes made into the rough shape of the others around it, though the thing that interested Siren was the thick plates of lead that had been bent around the pipes and in front of them, providing a handy shield. She waited till they were all inside, before looking to see that all of them had made it through. The ones that had first approached them had scattered, searching for their own cover in the firefight, and delivering pot shots from the alcove that they had found.
     
  15. obi-sem kenobi

    obi-sem kenobi Senior Member

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    "Follow, now!"

    After Ward shot four more people, his little wooden fruit vendor stall was starting to lose its effectiveness as cover. The structure Siren was beckoning them towards seemed a lot more suited for the task, but there were quite a few guns left between him and it. Still, Siren made it across, and the path she took seemed relatively clear. Might as well try it. If he wanted to do this he was going to have to trust her sooner or later anyway.

    As he was running he was focussed on dodging bullets, but when he arrived at the lead-plated cover he couldn't help but be a little disappointed that with all these bad-asses gathered up in one team, they couldn't even stop a simple riot. He flipped some of the dials again so he now fired bursts of broad but powerful blasts, not really aimed at anyone in particular, but meant to momentarily scare people into cover until the others got here.
     

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