Futuristic Bleeding Rainbows

[Sylvio]

The Skinny Mule Takes Flight

After departing for the stars, the Skinny mule takes flight. The cockpit remains empty while the ship's A.I, NISA leaves the ship drifting in space across the Stark Star system. The crew remain dormant on the ship as they get familiar with one another. They all met back on the Freebird space station right before boarding, one of the few commercial and residential hubs free of Stark presence minus an informal embassy and holds the headquarters of the Freelancer Society. The Reliables were sort of lumped together at the last minute. New entries who had only have a 101 understanding of what the Freelancers are about. The Freelancer Code was uploaded to the ship's databank should they ever go about trying not to lose their membership. As they departed, The crew had been getting themselves familiar with the ship, getting themselves sorted within their quarters.
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Danny Calihan was getting himself sorted out in his room. It was large enough to fit most of his stuff ranging from his survival gear to his rifle and medical equipment. He got settled in his bed trying to get a feel for it, adjusting the settings to match his desired comfort. How long it had been for Danny to finally have a bed to sleep on. Spending his days in frontier inns where the beds were cold or hot depending on the whether it some sort of noisy occurrence going on in the next room. The walls here seemed thick enough to block out any sort of commotion from the other rooms. Danny closed his eyes for a bit to take in the atmosphere, just sinking into the sheets that made him drowsy. However, realizing that the gang might get their first contract quicker than they expected. So to make sure that wouldn't happen, Danny walked into the lounge area in his casual wear walking to the pantry snacking on cookies that came from independent establishments in the midplanets. Definitely had more flavor and form than Stark's non perishables. Yeah he most definitely was going to enjoy it here for a while.

 

[Vudukudu]

Stepping aboard the ship, 21 years flash before Yarrick's eyes. Barely less than a fifth of his lifetime, and probably no more than a tenth of it if he lived his natural lifespan, the intervening years had been among the more peaceful of his long life. The only thing he'd had to protect was a gentle little girl, an uncomplicated task given the nature of youth. The most he'd ever had to lift a finger in her physical defense was teaching her from childhood how to defend herself, and he'd never been prouder than the moment she came home from a dance with a bloodied nose after some homo sapiens brat tried to steal a kiss from her at prom and quickly learned just how dangerous beautiful things can be.

The rest was easy. He formed a natural alliance with her mother early when he made it clear he meant no harm, and rather intended the opposite; he would spend his days helping raise her daughter, managing the entire household from programming robotic cleaners to cooking, and would keep young Vi Enceladus beyond the grasping reach of the Arcology. His underworld contacts would scrub their passage from place to place, hide them, make them ghosts in the vast data-scape of the modern world. He was, after all, still sentenced to death, and she would be treated as an abomination by them, something foreign and dangerous without the guiding force offered by the Arcology Governance Chipset. Once she'd grown old enough to understand, she'd begun interrogating him ceaselessly about how one might avoid that fate, and fourteen years after bribing him with a bottle of aged scotch here they were, chasing her dream down, hoping the dustball they were bound for didn't kill them both.

Boarding with her, Yarrick had insisted on continuing to perform his duties. He'd packed her things, his, the smaller elements of his kitchen, and arranged for the delivery of a portable freezer packed with enough of the finer things in life to actually enjoy their meals with some frequency. She was an adult now and didn't need his help, but he'd promised her mother she'd be well taken care of throughout this little fool's errand. He intended to keep his word, and standing at the boarding ramp with their things he stops to take a moment and suck in a breath, a gentle inhale through his nose. With their couple feet of separation, he notes that there's no reek of anxiety dripping from her pores, and he can hear her steady heartbeat thumping away at a restive pace. "I never should have taught you Iskari Meditation. Almost have trouble telling your heartbeat apart from the rest." He says plainly, the corners of his lips curling into a faint grin. He tosses her a small device, a beacon their hovering robotic porters are using to follow them, and gives her a vague gesture toward the ship. "Get our things inside. I have one last thing I need to do on Freebird."

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That thing, of course, was to arrange to have any trace of their passage through the station wiped away. He'd paid no small sum to have it done, practically extortionate, but such was the price of safety. With that done, he'd returned some time later with enough liquor to stock a restaurant bar and begun poring over the ship's kitchen and pantry with a refined eye. Having unpacked their things, hers into one of the more impressive rooms and his into a more meager one immediately beside it, he set about fulfilling his other duties. Though he treats all those who enter with unfailing politeness, greeting them and introducing himself, it is clear for the first day he is focused more on making The Skinny Mule an acceptable home for the Blood Royal. The kitchen is overhauled and reorganized, the floors and walls cleaned with a laser to blast away bacteria and then wiped down, and by the end of the first day the interior is gleaming like the inside of a decent hotel - there is only so much lipstick one may put on a pig, after all. He makes a mental note to order new furniture sometime.

With the drudgery done, Yarrick turns towards the kitchen, preparing himself a cocktail from the magnetically fastened bar he's added to the premises before going about dinner. The scent of Andurian spices wafts throughout the ship as the main dish, a chicken curry, cooks while he finishes putting the last touches on a lemon riccota cake with strawberries. Having access to a space station before taking flight was a bonus - though the fresh fruit had been exorbitantly priced, and they wouldn't be eating like this often, it seemed wasteful to not take advantage of a proper grocery. Seeing Danny Calihan snacking on the contents of the pantry, Yarrick makes a mental note to update his inventory.

"Is there anything I can prepare for the good sir? A drink, perhaps?" He asks, tilting his gaze away from the cake and towards the other man in the room.

 

[Vahn]

Freebird space station seems only like it was yesterday or maybe it was a few weeks ago alas whether it is because of Van Vaughn poor memory or the fact that he has no device to tell how long it was ago but it isn't like it matters much. Van Vaughn started to wake up once his eyes open up, did his right hand quickly go for the shovel he had at his bed and then Van Vaughn surveyed the crew quarters that was assigned to him before shifting off the bed and going out from under the blanket. No one around, Van Vaughn then let out a sigh as he then pushed a button on the side of the door to ensure it is locked before muttering to himself.

Van Vaughn: " Not in the trenches or foxholes anymore but still a good habit."

Van Vaughn would then place the shovel back on the ground before working on getting his clothing from his knapsack and laying it on the chair as he then began his morning ritual. Van Vaughn would stand up straight and then he stands on his toes for a few moments before placing his feet flat down back down and tries again. Van Vaughn does this ten times before stopping. Van Vaughn then moves his legs apart from each other and he then began to bend his body towards the left side for five times before attempting for the right side for five times.

After this was accomplished Van Vaughn would start to swing his arms now to the right side for ten times and then the left side for ten times. Van Vaughn would then bend forward and reach out to his left foot after a few moments he would straighten back up and then bend again this time to touch his right foot. After these steps Van Vaughn would bend to the rear for a few moments before spreading out his arms wide and the breathing in deeply and exhaling out. Van Vaughn then began his next step of putting on his socks, pants, boots, t-shirt, long sleeves shirt, duster coat and then his gloves. Van Vaughn then looked at the only mirror he owns as he stares at the ravages of war before putting on his full head covering gas mask.

Van Vaughn went and picked up his shovel before pressing on the button next to the door to unlock his room. Van Vaughn may not remember how long he has been on The Skinny Mule but one things has been on his mind and it mostly was about the name... The Skinny Mule was it because no one feeds this mule or did the Captain have a mule that was skinny... Van Vaughn thought he should ask the Captain or whoever owned this space vessel. Van Vaughn makes his way towards the lounge area and then spotted first Yarrick and it seems like Yarrick is talking with another person Danny if he got the name right... Van Vaughn would gently make his way into the lounge area and sitting at a free seat before staring at them and saying in their direction.

Van Vaughn: "You two are up earlier or do I wake up late? ... Time in space is hard.... Is there meeting or something I forgot about? "