[RP] The 'Verse (Accepting profiles)

[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

This time when Fayra smiled, there was a genuine expression there. "Gardiner. Fayra Gardiner. Your ad identified you as Captain Jas Sturm, am I right? I'm certain that one room will be enough." She was fair attractive in her own way, but she lit up for those few seconds her expression relaxed into a smile.

Fayra looked up as Jaden approached, raking hir face again and still distracted by that mohawk. "Jaden, I think she said your name was? It's a pleasure, I'm sure."

Before they could be lead off, Fayra tilted her head toward the loading of the melons. "Captain, I think your goods are being manhandled."  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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Ah, hell, she's kinda pretty when she smiles. Too much like the captain though. Money, I'd bet. Lots of it. Jaden mused as Fayra identified herself.

"Yeah. I'm Jaden." the tattooed figure grunted with a slight nod and a half hidden grin at the double entendre as Jas turned to berate the men loading their ship in a way that would have made her training sergeant proud.

There was a brief moment as the ship's muscle paused to glance over their potential new doctor. Dark eyes flicked across Fayra's body before Jaden seemed to come to a decision. With another grunt, Jaden turned away and tucked the batons into the back of hir belt. While Jas went back to supervising Jaden started up the ramp and started the tour.

"Looks like I'm gunna hafta reshuffle those crates later. Anyway. This here's the cargo bay. Cargo gets stored here and when there's space we use it as a gym. Ain't much, but there ain't much in the way of options. Infirmary, common room and passenger quarters are straight back thataway." There was a pause in hir long stride as Jaden gestured toward the doorway tucked under the catwalk. "And up there leads to the rest of the ship. You gotta preference as to which we see first?"

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

Fayra met hir appraising look without blushing. She'd looked the other over without hesitating and figured fair was fair. No matter if she had her own quarters, a ship this size was a small space, you had to size up the other people on it.

As they walked, Fayra kept her distance from Jaden. If the muscle had looked (and given her profession she probably would notice) she was almost precisely just outside of arm's reach. In fact, when she had retreated briefly up the ramp, she had done her best to maintain that distance from Jas as well.

"Probably upstairs and then the infirmary. It will take longer, with a supply list to be made as well, no?" Fayra pushed her glasses up her nose in a habitual motion, leaning a little to look down the hallway toward the infirmary.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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Jaden grunted again and started up the stairs, heavy boots clomping and making the metal grating rattle under hir weight as ze led the way. A few flights of stairs later and they were standing in the dining area, which had been decorated by a hand that in all likelyhood wasn't Jaden's or Jas'. Scattered across the surface of the table was a pair of mostly eaten sandwiches, the better part of a mason jar of what was probably moonshine, loose rounds of ammunition for weapons of varying calibers, a data pad, a bottle of gun oil and a very dirty rag.

"Dining area's here. Help yourself if you get hungry, but Cap likes it if folk can sit for dinner at 'round 2000. Usually I've got it done a bit before if you get hungry earlier." Jaden said before gesturing toward the back of the ship. "Engine room's thataway and there's more stairs that go to the infirmary there. You interested in seein' that? Ain't much, really, and what's there's held together with spit, tape and a prayer. If not, crew quarters are this way. Room closest to the bridge on your left's the captain's. Rooms on the right are Aria's. Mine's the first on your left, which makes yours the middle room. Or you could probably take the Cap's room and she'd never notice."

There was a pause and Jaden looked at Fayra again as if thinking about something. While talking Jaden had shifted a bit further away from Fayra so as to be a half-step and arm's reach away out of habit. Jaden's thoughtful look was replaced by a wry smile and the tattooed muscle looked as if ze was going to say something before deciding not to.

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

As Fayra followed Jaden around the ship, not actually touching anything as they walked. It was only a little awkward, since she carried her bag with her as a prop and kept her hands full with that. She stared at the dining hall with interest, eyes lingering on the touches that didn't quite fit in with the little she knew of Jas or Jaden. Later she was able to presume those were the touches of the Aria who had rooms in the crew quarters.

Finally after looking down the hallway toward the crew quarters, Fayra cleared her throat to get Jaden's attention. "Jaden," her eyes slid up the androgynous form to meet her eyes. "How do you find working and living on this ship? Serving under your captain?" Without the captain right there she hoped Jaden might at least be a little forthcoming.

She liked what she'd seen of the ship so far. The smaller, slightly domestic touches showed there was someone a little less... male than Jaden or Jas aboard. And other signs indicated that even if they weren't domestic, they both cared about the ship in a way. It was dirty sure, but as long as she could clean up her quarters and the infirmary, she would be able to deal with the rest of the ship. Somehow...  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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"I'm here, aren't I?" Jaden grunted in reply with a slight shrug after a moment of thought. "Jas is good people. Aria's...Aria. I get my own room. Get shot at sometimes, but I always get shot at. I've been on better ships, but Jas is here. Aria's here."

Absently, Jaden picked up the ends of the sandwiches and ate them by simply shoving them in hir mouth. The tattooed and pierced figure neatly stacked the plates they were on and took them into the kitchen without another word. Metal clanked as ze put them in the sink to be washed before Jaden emerged from the kitchen area again, still chewing.

"So. You want to see the bridge?"

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria

The bustling docks rustled like a breeze in the leaves as something passed through it, leaving a murmur in it's wake. The rustle approached the ship; it was something Jas was used to at this point. Aria had returned, strolling through the port as though she was walking through a garden in one of the palaces. She was... unique, that was certain. That she stood out was certain regardless of what Aria wore- it was in her bearing, her attitude, the little quirk of a smile that always seemed to wear. Like Mrs. Darling of Earth-that-was there was a kiss at the corner of the mouth, it never seemed to quite be captured by the lips of anyone else.

Returning from work, Aria was dressed in her full regalia. Her hair was pinned up intricately with tiny silver bells dangling from a kanzashi ringing like music in the cargo bay of the ship. It was summer on Persephone, so her kimono was primarily a sky blue in color, pink and purple blossoms growing more dense toward the bottom. The obi was a brilliant yellow in contrast. Tall wooden sandals had two purposes, giving her a little bit of height and also to keep the trailing edges of the expensive silk out of the dirt.

All work in the cargo bay ceased temporarily when she arrived. With her thick make-up, Aria's expression was slightly amused but otherwise hard to read. She looked quite different than she did without it. Her lips were only partially colored in with the brilliant red color.

"Jaswinder," the name was playful- Aria was the only person to use Jas' full name. "I see you've become desperate enough to let a crew of strangers fondle your melons."  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

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"Take a picture, it lasts longer." Jas snapped at the men who were supposed to be working. "Well? Get back to gorram work, your boss ain't payin' you to stand around and stare at the lady. Not that you'd ever be able to afford an hour with her."

Snorting in anger, Jas turned to face Aria and by the time she was facing the other woman she had a pleasant and friendly smile on her face. There was a brief pause as the tall blonde took in Aria's costume before she tipped her hat as she had to Fayra.

"Aria. Good to see you again too." she nodded as she settled the hat back onto her head. "Well, had you been around, I would have asked you. And seeing as I have a crew of two and Jaden's usually off finding us supplies..."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

With her head tilted just slightly, Faya thought about Jaden's words. She was inclined to go back to her initial opinion about hir. Jaden had seemed quite animated while chasing a few thugs off the ship, and had turned taciturn since then. Either she wasn't very bright or she was only fired by violence.

How long had those sandwiches been sitting there?!

Looking a bit uncertain, Fayra nodded to Jaden. "The bridge it is then."  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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With a slight nod, Jaden led the way toward the bridge. The tall Chinese paused abruptly halfway down the crew quarters hallway and looked back at Fayra. There was a muted clicking noise of metal on something for a moment before Jaden spoke again.

"You wanna put your bag in your room? Assuming you want to stay, that is. Don't blame you if you'd rather not. Most folk find they'd rather not. We ain't exactly the most normal of folk." Jaden asked with just a touch of hesitation and uncertainty in hir tone. "Probably for the best if you don't head out with us if you ain't sure. Next stop's Shinon, but after that we could be out on the Border for a while. Long while. Lady like you might be best findin' a nice cruiser or something."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria

"Captain Sturm, don't be too hard on them," Aria's mouth curved into a coy smile, but her eyes were on Jas. "I'm sure you've been working them. You have nearly all these crates loaded already."

The wooden sandals were loud on the ramp as the companion walked up the ramp to stand beside Jas. Even in the summer with her heavy clothing on, Aria didn't allow herself to show signs that she was sweating or even uncomfortable. Until she was out of the costume, she would remain every inch the image of Geisha and Companion.

"To whom do the two trunks belong to at the foot of the ramp then? I had thought perhaps we had found another member of the crew. Or did we find a passenger?" She smiled again as one of the workers halfheartedly volunteered to join the crew.  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

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"Jaden's giving her a tour right now. If she likes what she sees, I think we've got us a doctor. We'll see. She might decide that we're a lot of crude barbarians or that the pay's not enough." Jas shrugged, ignoring the volunteer.

As it was, she wasn't entirely sure that Fayra would decide to stay. Her ship was clearly an older ship and she was falling apart at that. Not to mention that something told Jas that Fayra wasn't exactly the steadiest around violence. If she was easily intimidated then her tour with Jaden might help her decide instead of deciding when they were two days out. The last thing that Jas wanted to do was to have to sedate her crew's doctor.

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

Almost in tandem with Jaden, Fayra stopped as well, not sure if there was something of note in the narrow hall they stood in at the moment. There was something unreadable in her eyes as ze spoke. While Fayra stood right there her eyes were miles away and untouchable (at the moment at least).

"Oh... oh Jaden." She smiled then, lifting her head and meeting Jaden's eyes here and now with that distance gone. The uncertainty was gone and she continued. "If you knew how much I'm not the most normal of folk. I would suffocate if I remained on Persephone and there are too many people on a cruise. Those who are want... well they want to be pretty or they don't like their nose. Here... if I'm a bit strange I suspect I would blend in. And my skills can save lives."

Her eyes turned down to the bag in her hands and the tight grip she still had on it. Again she looked up at Jaden and nodded. "So yes I can put my bag down."  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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By the time Fayra met hir eyes, the uncertainty and hesitation was gone, replaced by a surliness that wasn't quite resentment nor anger. And when she finished speaking, the surliness was gone. Jaden jerked a thumb at the middle door that hadn't been spoken for.

"That's your room then. I could go down and show you 'round it, but they ain't that big. It's got a bunk, shelf, some drawers and a head." The ship's muscle nodded. " 'sides, now it's yours and I've got this thing about going into folks' rooms uninvited."

With that Jaden crossed hir arms and waited.

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria

"Speak for yourself but I am a crude barbarian," Aria laughed lightly. "But I couldn't help notice that unattended trunks draw some attention. She may mind if we brought them further into the bay, but less than she would if she came back to only one trunk."

Grey eyes flicked to the workmen, and she smiled at the brief volunteer to join the crew. "You don't mind, do you? Just scoot them a little up the ramp would you?"

The poor idiot stumbled to do her bidding and grinned like an idiot the entire time. Really he had bragging rights for at least a month.

"Now, Jaswinder, when do you intend to depart? I do not want to make any further appointments here on Persephone if we plan to leave soon. And there is a beautiful tea house in Sihnon I wouldn't mind seeing." Now that she had the minor task taken care of by the worker, he passed out of Aria's sphere of attention.