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Daireem - Cerania
AuthorComment
Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
10/21/2008 1:00:22 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Valerie shrugged. She didn't know of anywhere else to go at the moment, and it couldn't hurt to go with him.

It didn't take long to reach the small town of Sally—and it was definitely small. It wasn't very attractive either, just some haphazardly placed buildings of all sorts; brick, metal, vinyl sided; with a few streets running through them seemingly as an afterthought. It at least appeared acceptably maintained.

There was nearly no activity on the streets, but some of the shops still seemed to hold life. What most attracted her attention was what was most likely a diner: a small-ish building, with a rounded dining area, topped with an angular logo lit up with neon: The Electric Griddle. One word poked Valerie's brain: retro, despite such a thing never actually being in style in this part of the universe, or at least as far as she knew.

Valerie: I am hungry.

It was a very obvious hint.

Pilot: Oh boy. Small town food.
Valerie: Some small town food is actually good.
Pilot: ... But not usually.
Valerie: Come on, we can give it a try.

She headed for it, expecting Hugo to follow.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
10/21/2008 10:44:57 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo said nothing and went along to The Electric Griddle as a matter of fact.  It looked like a friendly place, in a dingy sort of way.  

Valerie opened the door and hit the service bell with a ding as the group filed in.  The floor was worn acrylic checkerboard, apparently yellow and blue if the un-scuffed corners were any indication.  

In the clear electric light, Hugo finally noticed that Valerie was a darned fine looking lady.  Unconsciously, he straightened his posture and put on a thoughtful face as he studied the menu pinned to the wall behind the counter.

Soon enough, a thin, worn-looking man stepped out of the kitchen and eyed the group.  "What'll it be?" came the curt question.

Hugo ordered a pan of hashbrowns and beef with an egg on top, and a beer.  

After the others ordered, the cook asked in his clipped way, "You from outa town?"

"Yeah" Hugo replied, "We just flew in, just passing through.  Do you know where we can get a room?"

The man thought for a moment and said, "Back down the road you came on, left at the old silo, keep going, can't miss it".  With that, he turned and started frying up food.

Hugo left the counter and sat down at a window table near the entrance.  Addressing Valerie, he said, "Good call on the food.  I'm starving."
Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
10/21/2008 11:39:14 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

When she stepped in, she realized the place really was the same chain of restaurants as the Electric Griddle she had attended on Meeriad. It was somewhere in Zanardio, if she remembered right.

She simply ordered two waffles and milk. The pilot—who had apparently introduced himself during the flight back as Mattias—took a bit longer, scanning over the menu several times, before he decided on eggs over medium, three sausage patties, grits, and also a beer.

It struck Valerie as mildly amusing that both pilots drank.

She followed Hugo to the table near the entrance and sat down, though she eyed the window uneasily for a few seconds, a bit a scowl across her face, before sitting. Her attention was finally diverted from the window by Hugo's comment on getting food, which she found a bit interesting, as it may just have been the first thing he said to her that wasn't rushing her or... bossy, or something. Not that they had exactly had much time to engage in friendly conversation. She gave a quick smile.

Valerie: Yeah, I thought so myself.
Mattias: Me three.

She looked back out the window.

Valerie: Not that it makes much difference, but I'd really prefer sitting more toward the middle of the restaurant.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
10/22/2008 8:56:01 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo thought a moment before replying, "Sure.  Sitting by the exit is a habit I've picked up from my days as a bouncer.  Guess it wouldn't do any harm to sit elsewhere."

He let Valerie lead the way to a table near counter. Hugo found it a bit tricky figuring out which seat gave a better view of the environment, but in the end he just sat down and tried to relax. The smell of greasy food coming from the kitchen was therapeutic, finally letting Hugo drop the events of the day from his mind.

To stay distracted, he tried striking up some casual conversation, "So, judging by your accent you're not from around here. Where are you from, and what brings you to Cerania?  We get tourists, but you don't seem the regular touristin' type."
Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
10/22/2008 11:33:27 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Just as she said before, it didn't make much difference. She continued to scan outside and the two other patrons of the diner, reasoning that this was only a bit over an hour flight from where they were attacked. It wouldn't be a stretch for it to be a pirate hangout, and if they found out who they were...

She looked back at Hugo.

Valerie: Actually... I am from around here. Sort of. I've got a house near Conterrance, but I don't really use it. I do a lot of... travelling.

She seemed to speak easily up until the word "travelling." She knew he was from the Werrington Express dirigible, and she might lose that "in" if he found out what she was after, or even that she was a bounty hunter.

But actually thinking about that bounty for the first time since the pirates attacked, she realized how chest-beatingly stupid she was.

Valerie: I actually just realized I must be looking for... you.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
10/23/2008 6:27:51 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

With a quizzical look, Hugo opened his mouth to reply, but at that instant the owner of the diner came with two heaping plates of food and a pair of waffles.

Hunger took priority over curiosity for a moment, and after a couple of forkful of food and a swig of beer, Hugo said, "Looking for me?  What do you mean?"
Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
10/24/2008 12:03:02 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Valerie: Well,

She swallowed a piece of waffle.

Valerie: As seems to be increasingly common, I befriended the guy I came here to catch and turn over for about a three thousand tape bounty.

She pauses for effect.

Valerie: That would be, uh, you, of course.

She took a sip of her milk and her brow furrowed, trying to remember something.

Valerie: The guy said something about you trying to cheat him at a card game, and when he caught you, you grabbed something of his and ran off. It sounded pretty straight forward, so I took it; but, since we were getting along so well, and you don't really seem like the cheating type, I'll hear your side of the story.
Mattias: ... So is that what you're here for?

Valerie leaned forward on her elbows and knowingly stated what had been obvious to Hugo from the start.

Valerie: We weren't actually out joyriding.

She gave a dumb smile.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
10/24/2008 4:55:23 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo dropped his fork at the "That would be, uh, you, of course."

His earlier chumminess melted away and left a hard, unyielding look.  But when Valerie made a funny face and a joke, he smiled.

He picked up his fork again and slowly ate as he talked.

  "Well, I guess the guy you're talking about is probably the pond scum that goes by the name Rick Sonny.  Frankly, this is the first I've heard about a bounty.  That changes things."

Hugo shook his head and grinned, "The story you were told is all wrong, of course.  It went down like this.  I was running a card table at a pretty up-scale establishment in Avesta Ruin.  Sonny was a regular at the place, but he didn't usually come to my table because the blinds were too low.  One night he comes over and just plays terribly.  So what does he do, he starts cheating, and he does it so badly it's downright embarrassing."

  "Of course I take his chips and tell him to get out.  He was down about a thousand tape at this point, and he gets upset.  Starts threatening and blustering, telling me I didn't know how to deal ... I probably should've realized he wasn't just some shmuck with too much money but I got physical and launched him toward the exit.  Bam, now the entire place gets all quiet and a bunch of goons step out to teach me a lesson."

  "Short time later, they're all on the ground and I've got Sonny by the throat.  The entire place was smashed up pretty badly, so I knew this guy had just cost me a nice job and I was looking to get even.  Peeking out of his jacket was a white crystal pendant, all glowing with what seemed like magic.  I grabbed it, knocked him out, and walked out the door thinking that was that."

  "The next morning I get a call from a friend, telling me to get out of town.  Rick Sonny is some sort of big-wig in organized crime and was out to get some revenge.  So I used my last cash to get a ride out and lay low for a while.  I ended up selling the pendant to some itinerant mage from Micc for way more than it could've been worth."

  "This was almost a year ago.  I thought Sonny would be over it by now, I mean the guy ran me out of town already, what more could he want?"

By the time Hugo finished his story, his plate was empty and his beer nearly so.  One long draught later, Hugo leaned back his large bulk with a satisfied look.

Clearly unconcerned, Hugo said, "So, how were you going to catch me, anyway?"

Valerie Fas'nvak
Ex-tournament fighter/
ninja accountant

Dominion Master
10/24/2008 12:39:42 PM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 126
RE: Fighting Skies

Valerie listened intently to the story. It seemed a bit too detailed to be made up on the fly, and he didn't seem to be stopping to think up what comes next. She didn't have a hard time believing it.

Valerie: What more could he want? Probably that thing you took from him.

She laughed.

Valerie: I don't actually know exactly what he wants from you. He wants you brought back to him.

She took the last bite of her food as Hugo asked "So, how were you going to catch me, anyway?"

Valerie: Through a lot of asking about, I found out you were working on that zeppelin.
Mattias: Dirigible.
Valerie: Whatever. So I found out that you can actually land a plane on a rig like that mid-flight, right? But nothing big. So I had to ask this guy here to fly me there in his little plane.

She pointed at Mattias with her thumb.

Valerie: I figured it would be the perfect place for the takedown. You wouldn't escape without me knowing—I'd have disabled your plane or whatever it is. I'd figure out the rest as I went, as per usual.

She paused.

Valerie: Problem was, we couldn't find it. Then pirates showed up, you saved us, and that brings us... here.

She took a breath and shrugged.

Valerie: But that money isn't worth the weight on my conscience of turning over the guy that just saved my butt.
QuantumTroll
Street Fighter/Space Station
10/27/2008 8:03:45 AM

Level: 1
Experience: 0

Total Posts: 181
RE: Fighting Skies

Hugo nodded, but seemed more intent on something going on outside the window than Valerie.  Then he said, "I'm glad your conscience isn't for sale, I don't meet enough honest people.  I take it your services are open for hire, then?  How about you help me out with these guys who are going to the airstrip, fee negotiable afterwards?  I don't like the looks of them, and we are very close to where those bandits were."

Outside, a small group of cloaked men were making their way straight towards the airstrip.  In their hurry, none of them appeared to look at the Electric Griddle.  Here and there, glints of dull metal hinted at concealed weapons, and their general posture betrayed emotions of anger and vengeance pursued.

Pulling some cash out of his pocket, Hugo got up and plunked it down on the counter next to the register.

"Mattias, you're free to come along or go.  I'm not about to force anyone to make enemies they can't deal with."
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