Announcement

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 06-26-2020, 11:09 PM

Even while still in the shade of the shop, she recognized him. A few quick bounds, and she flung herself on him, easily up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck, feet bracing on his hips. "Zaffre!" she exclaimed, effortlessly dropping in Xiangese. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!"
Daniel grunted at her sudden weight, his hands moving to more comfortably support her feet. "D-dragon?" he asked in his habitual stammer, voice full of surprise and no small amount of worry. "What are you d-doing here?"
She chuckled. "You know me. Looking for trouble until it finds me. What about you? I thought you were still on Xenthras."
"W-well," he started, dropping his head and hunching his shoulders. "I-i got tired of all... all the moons."
"So you went to a planet with twice as many," she leaned back to study his face. "Blessed twins, Zaffre, you're the smartest being I know, but you can be dense sometimes."
"B-bigger planet," he mumbled. "D-didn't think I'd be as... as affected he-here."
She leaned forward to not so gently bump his forehead with hers. "Ask me next time, would you? I worry enough as it is."
"Yes, Mistress," he answered, then winced as she smacked the back of his head and corrected, "yes, Dragon."
"Whatever Xiang says, you're free and I'm not your mistress," she told him, her voice suddenly taking an edge. She softened again and hopped down. "Besides, I always pay when I need to buy your services, like now."
He sighed, dropping his head in resignation. "Wh-what did you do?"
She grinned and gestured to the Terarns, switching back to Common. "I wrecked her ship."

**Peeps** · 06-27-2020, 06:53 PM

Sylvester sat in the copilot's seat, feeling a mixture of confusion, embarrassment and frustration over how the day had started. Even though he wore an expensive gold watch, he checked his phone. It was almost 1pm Earth time. His stomach growled. He walked to the back of the ship, entered the room where his car was and unlocked it. He had kept it locked there in case the robots tried anything. He went thru the pile of clothes in his trunk to get a clean change and a towel. He took them out of the room and down the hall, seeing Medy coming towards him.
"Is there a shower on board?" he asked the droid. He then followed the drone to a bathroom and took a quick rinse. When he got out, he put his clean clothes on and went to put yesterday's back in his car. He then sat in his car for a moment, rolling a cocktail of drugs into a joint that he put in his pack of cigarettes. His stomach grumbled, and he figured it would be best if he had something to eat before he did anything else. He knew there were probably no pancakes on the island but he could keep his fingers crossed.

Venturing out of the ship, his vision was drenched in blueness of the sky and the ocean around the starport. The daylight was beaming, and the humidity weighed down on him. After his eyes adjusted, he began walking towards the main island where a city seemed to overflow on its floating foundation. As he was walking down the bridge that led to the main city, one of the bird people approached him saying something in his bird speak. Sylvester couldn't fully understand, but it sounded like the bird was asking if he needed a lift.
"I'm looking for a place to eat," Sylvester explained, and patted his belly. "Food?"
The bird person understood and enthusiastically hovered over Sylvester, offering his legs, chirping at him reassuringly. Sylvester grabbed onto the bird man's legs and before he knew it there was no turning back.

They flew along the main street that went from the starport towards the center of the island city. His blood boiled with adrenaline as they flew higher and began reaching over the city, where busy streets bustled below and the air was filled with other bird folk doing deliveries, escorts and just flying around. It was a high paced place he could tell, like his home city, yet the traffic didn't seem to be as loud. In the outer part of the island they passed over markets with stalls and crowded neighborhoods. Towards the center of the island, the buildings got taller, streets more organized and there were some interesting monuments and buildings that looked Greek in an altered reality kind of way. As they descended on a plaza, he could hear the chatter of life all around, and doors opening and closing as people walked in and out of shops and restaurants. He landed on his feet, and with a cheerful chirp the bird man was gone as soon as he came.

That was so weird, he didn't make me pay a fare? Sylvester placed his hand on the back of his neck, and realized the absence of his watch from his wrist. "Damn bird!" he shouted, clutching his fists and looking to the sky. The thief was nowhere in sight. Sylvester grumbled to himself and walked into the best smelling store. There was a shopkeeper at a counter behind a lit display of various confectionery. His eyes widened at the sight. He had never seen pastries like them before, but it still looked good.
The shopkeeper, a short bird woman happily greeted him in her language.
"Hi," Sylvester said, still sorting out all the options in his head. He decided on some strange empanadas with bright red goo all over them and what looked like cream. He pointed. The shopkeeper retrieved them and put them into a giant folded napkin, then seemed to say the price.
Sylvester hadn't thought about this. He took a bill out of his wallet and showed it to the shopkeeper. She didn't respond well and chirped something in annoyance. She led him out of the store and pointed down the street, seeming to tell him where to convert his money. He left with a grumble and walked in that direction, coming upon a more formal looking stone building.

He entered and immediately felt dwarfed when he walked into the massive main room. It was some sort of government center, with booths circling the outside where some professional-looking bird folk and some other species worked and helped visitors. He walked to a booth and didn't know what to ask, so he showed his dollar bill to the person working.
The bird person snatched the dollar bill and looked at it closely, then looked back at Sylvester in confusion. In their language they said something to the exact cadence of "What the hell is this?" before giving it back to him.
"Please, I need to convert this currency," he explained desperately. "I'm starving!"
The clerk stubbornly held their ground. After tolerating his whining a while longer, they gestured around their neck.
Sylvester did the same gesture and realized the person was talking about his gold chain. "Naw, not my chain!" he whined.
The bird person simply blew air in response and looked away, crossing their arms.
"Okay fine!" he took off his gold chain, giving it to the clerk. Unknowingly he entered into a long process of creating his intergalactic bank account.

When it was finally finished, he speed walked back to the bakery wearing his new bank band around his wrist. He finally was able to buy his breakfast, but strangely no scanning of his band took place and it seemed to automatically work. He took his pastry and sat at an outdoor table with an umbrella. On his first bite, his tastebuds danced with delight at the rush of cosmic flavor and his eyes closed. It was sweet and a little sour, like the red goo was from a fruit of some sort, but like nothing he had tasted on Earth.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 06-28-2020, 11:44 AM

Daniel studied his slate, shaking his head at the scans sent to it by the small, sphere-like droid as it floated around the ship. "Wh-what did you d-do?" he asked incredulously. "L-land Sionnach on it?"
She gave her most innocent smile from her position in the shade of the storefront. "May-be," she said in a singsong voice.
He closed his eyes, seeming to brace himself as he asked, "Wh-where's Sionnach?"
"Safe and sound at the starport," she assured him, " in the capable care of your droids. He'll fly just fine."
Daniel let out an audible sigh of relief, his tension relaxing marginally. He had an in-general fondness for machines and ships, but he held a special favor for Xiomara's ship. While he knew its capabilities better than any (except perhaps the original builder), he worried how much damage it had received, given how much its landing had dealt. "L-later I'll ask why... why you had to d-do that. For now..." He grimaced and turned to face Zaria, although with still downcast eyes. "I-I think I can repair it. B-but it'll be ex-expensive and... and take me awhile. I-it would be... cheaper, and easier, to get a-a new one." He braced himself, fully expecting a tirade at this prognosis.
The èirinn grimaced as she heard Daniel's pronouncement. Captains grew rather attached to their ships, regardless of how grand or modest. The suggestion of a new one was unlikely to go well.
She noticed his tension and straightened, eyes narrowed behind her protective lens. Had Zaria mistreated him during previous visits? The thought was quickly dismissed. Even if she'd been especially kind, the xenothrope was far too used to being abused. That he could even suggest a new ship, instead of meekly accepting the task of repairing the damage, was a sign of how much confidence he'd gained since they'd met. Still, the hunter readied herself to intervene if needed. She was far more used to withstanding verbal abuse, and any offered should be directed her way anyways. She'd earned it, after all.

**amaterasu** · 06-28-2020, 02:07 PM

Zaria froze for a moment, shocked by the price. Surely the damage couldn't have been that extensive, but she trusted Daniel not to lie to her. He was too cowardly to do so, though she had never threatened him for lying. The Phoenix, her ship, was one of her oldest friends, though it had no heartbeat. The only friend she'd had longer than Zulo. "Whatever the cost, I want my ship fixed." she told him sternly. "The tab goes to her," she pointed to Xio. "How long do you think this is going to take?" she added, crossing her arms across her chest. The longer she was out of work, the more debt she would wrack up. Just when things were looking up, too. She supposed she could ask Zulo to help her out, but that would be too much. He was a Prince with royal duties, and she was just a Pirate - an urchin of the seas. She turned to Zulo and smiled weakly. "Any way I can borrow one of the fleet to keep working?" she asked.

**Peeps** · 06-28-2020, 02:23 PM

Zulo nodded reassuringly and put his hand on her shoulder. "Of course, Zaria. I'll make sure of it." He always had a weakness for her, but as he answered he realized it wasn't going to be easy to get her a fleet ship without questions from his advisors. Oh well, they would find a way, he thought.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 06-28-2020, 03:22 PM

Daniel shuffled his feet, clearly uncomfortable. If the big man could cringe further, he would have. He knew that his old mistress could afford the bill he'd present her, although he also knew how irritated by it she would be. More importantly, he knew how upset Zaria would be by his estimate. "S-six months," he mumbled, although that was a low-ball estimate. Even working his fastest, and calling in some extra help that might (or more likely not) work with him, he wasn't sure he'd get done in that time.
The èirinn stalked over at this point. She grabbed Daniel's slate, despite his soft whimper of protest. "You," she started, jabbing him in the belly as she swapped to Xiangese, "need to relax. No one is going to bite your tail off. If you're really that worried about it, I'll bite first." She bared her teeth, earning a weak chuckle from him. She grinned in response, then turned her focus to the slate, scanning over the schematics that he'd brought up.
"What exactly do you do for a living?" she asked Zaria in Common. Six months was a long time to be out of work, and while the prince might be able to get her a ship from the royal fleet, it might not be able to fit the specific requirements the Terarn needed.
The hunter's tail twitched as she saw certain qualities of the ship. Qualities obvious enough that told her what Zaria did, and why she used Daniel, who was so timid he wouldn't tell anyone about them. The èirinn had pursued enough smugglers and bandits to recognize the makings of a pirate ship, even on a water-bound vessel instead of star. She raised her gaze to study Zaria, eyes dancing with amusement behind the protective lens. Depending on the answer given, she might have a proposition. What was it her antaidh had always said? Like catches like. A hunter can catch another hunter. A thief can catch another thief. A pirate could help her catch her trafficker.

**amaterasu** · 06-28-2020, 03:33 PM

Zaria smiled at Zulo, sure he would find a way to finesse his way to "borrowing" a ship for her before turning to Xio and frowning. "I'm a courier," she lied. "I bring whatever people want from point A to point B for the right price." she explained, drawing a little map in the air with her fingers. "And as long as the money is good, I don't ask too much about what's in the crates I transport." she added, tryign to convince the huntress that she was not, in fact, a thief nor a pirate. "Why? Do you have a job for me or something?"

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 06-28-2020, 05:01 PM

She grinned at the response. How many similar ones had she heard before, all such innocent explanations that meant exactly the same thing? Daniel's sudden unease beside her was as much an indicator as the schematics she was holding. Not that Daniel had been relaxed at all in the course of the encounter. She'd noticed his timer that he kept up on the slate was running low, and she'd rather get him off planet if she could help it. Not that he'd be willing to abandon a job unless she pulled the trump card (which she hated doing), but maybe if she convinced Zaria to come under her employ, she could also convince the xenothrope to leave the ship's repairs to someone else for the time being. Perhaps the prince had another mechanic answering to him who could be discreet for the Terarn.
"Depends," she answered coyly. "A courier isn't much use to me; tend to be a little too... fragile. But maybe you could point me to one from the less white side of the field. I'd be willing to pay quite a few credits for one able to lend me their insight in pursuing a particular target."
Daniel finally reached over and tapped his slate. She let go without any reaction, waiting for the response she knew was coming.

**amaterasu** · 06-28-2020, 05:20 PM

The pirate looked at Xio sideways, suppressing a glare. "Bold of you to assume that I'm just as fragile as any other Courier you've met," she muttered. "What's the job you're offering? I might be interested if the terms work out."

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 06-28-2020, 07:29 PM

"Nothing much, just a simple job I'm working on." She tilted her head, not bothering to hide her grin at all. Zaria might sound hostile, but there was also a note of interest. "I'm chasing a trafficker by the name of Farghast." She saw Daniel stiffen out the corner of her eye and reached over to pat his arm. "You're gonna give yourself a cramp if you keep doing that," she teased before turning back to Zaria. "He outmaneuvered me and I lost his trail. I'd imagine a courier working from that side of the law would have a few ideas for how to outmaneuver him. Why, if such a courier was able to help me capture him and turn him in, I might consider splitting the bounty for him." She had been tapping on her tablet while she'd been talking, which she now held up. On it was displayed the warrant for Farghast, including a rather significant bounty.

**amaterasu** · 06-28-2020, 08:26 PM

She leaned forward and studied the image, placing a hand on her chin. Farghast was an ugly creature, with and a mess of black hair atop his head that spilled down around his face. He had yellowed fangs that slipped out of his lips, and a dog-like face. Which, felt right to Zaria, because he seemed to be Canis. He had grey fur on his face and likely the rest of his body, but she couldn't be sure with just the headshot. "Alright, I'll bite. I've never seen this ugly mug before, so I'm sure I won't cross any lines if I join forces with you. But," she straightened up. "I want to bring a Plus One." she turned towards Zulo with a grin. "You, Prince Zulo. You deserve more world experience, and I think this is the perfect way for you to get out of the palace." She switched to her native tongue for a moment and said under her breath, "That, and I'll have someone familiar with me for once."

**Peeps** · 06-28-2020, 09:16 PM

Zulo looked back at Zaria, perplexed. He had been so glad to offer up a fleet ship, but now she seemed to not need it and was going to go into space with the stranger. At least she asked him to come, but she was forgetting his princely duties.
"You know I've always wanted to travel the cosmos," he started, speaking only to Zaria in native. "But my father is old, and I soon will be King. I have far too many duties to just leave. The people need me here." He didn't even mention that his wedding was fast approaching, since he was always too depressed to tell her about it. He was arranged to marry the Rito princess Kamalia from the Northern City.
"We're not the kids we used to be..." he trailed off as memories rushed back, images of a younger Zaria and open oceans. He got a feeling he hadn't had for years, something his old friend brought out in him. A smirk grew upon his face. "I suppose I do deserve a little vacation, though... one last huzzah before my ascent. A short one, though." When he was finished, he switched to common and turned to Xio.
"How long you plan on being starward?"

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 06-28-2020, 09:40 PM

She was somewhat surprised, not by the request, but the intended recipient of the request. While she rarely took them, she often saw bounties out for royal assassins. Terarn seemed a small enough planet politically that she wouldn't need to worry about protecting the prince for others attempting to kill him, but it was still a risky suggestion. She flicked her tail; if he accepted, it was on him. Her ship wasn't large enough to support an escort of royal guards, and there was only so much she could do while also pursuing her target and keeping Sylvester from doing damage again.
"I've no objections if you'd like to come aboard," she said, "although I'll warn you that I outrank even a prince on my ship. As for how long we'll be up there," she shrugged. "Depends on how hard Farghast is to hunt down. Could be days, could be years. Regardless, I'd like to request you get someone else to repair your ship. He," she gestured towards Daniel, "is coming with me."
"But-!" Daniel started, but she turned to him, her head tilted questioningly, and he silenced. She disliked taking advantage of his natural submission, but she really wanted to get him somewhere else, away from so many moons.

**amaterasu** · 06-29-2020, 08:58 AM

"if Daniel is coming with us, who's gonna fix my ship!" Zaria exclaimed, turning towards her broken beauty. "He's one of the few people I trust with The Phoenix!" she put her head down and grumbled to herself, trying to think of anybody else she could pay off to keep quiet about her ship's schematics. There rumors flying about about her being a pirate, but she always shot them down with the same courier lie she told Xio. Though, she was sure the huntress saw right through her lies when she looked at Daniel's tablet. "I suppose I can find another person to repair her, but it'll have to be quick if we want to catch up with that bounty."

She straightened up and looked to Zulo. "You absolutely deserve one last hurrah!" she said brightly, trying to shove her concern over the ship down. "Say, you're going to get married soon, aren't you? Who's the lucky lady?" she asked with a wink. On some level, she wished and would always hope that she would be the lucky lady, but she never let her hopes get too high. Zulo was a prince, and she was a pirate. That would be a PR nightmare for the Royal Family. "Can't be a king without a queen!"

**Peeps** · 06-29-2020, 03:36 PM

Zulo stiffened at Zaria's question. He didn't want to marry, and he never told Zaria so she had must of heard it through the grapevine. "Indeed. I'll tell you about it after we get things sorted out. I need to go report to the King about my decision to take a vacation, and I need to get my royal shipwrights to work on The Phoenix, unless you have any objections." He fluffed his wings, getting ready to fly back for a quick stop at the palace.

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