[RP] The 'Verse (Accepting profiles)

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

"Ah, I didn't say we weren't." Jas said with a teasing smile as Aria laughed.

She was about to protest that she had her eye on Fayra's belongings, but - not surprisingly - Aria quickly convinced one of the men moving the last of the crates onto the ship to move it for them. Not that Jas could blame the man. If she had been him she would have done the same.

"Later this afternoon, I think. It depends on how long the doctor's list is and how fast Jaden can get a hold of the items. For all we know, we could end up having a few passengers drift in too. And the gods could smile on us and send us a mechanic. Possibly even a great big bag of gold." Jas mused, glancing out at the dock and clearly thinking. "You might be able to get one more appointment in, but I'd think less of a man who would only look to spend that amount of time with you. Maybe even question his stamina."

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

 

[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

The hallway was only just wide enough for two people to fit into let alone pass one another with ease. Fayra looked down the hallway with trepidation, expression more like she was contemplating a walk down a pathway in Hades... not ten feet down a hallway. Well it was walk past Jaden or risk making hir think Fayra was even more of a crazy than she probably already did.

Swallowing, Fayra skirted past Jaden to get to the door that lead to her new quarters. There was something weird about the way Fayra moved when she was right adjacent to Jaden. It wasn't that she was braced for a punch or for hir to punch her... Actually it was hard to figure just what it was that Fayra was so concerned about.

Once past Jaden she moved quickly down the hallway and opened the door. Jaden was right, the room wasn't much. But it was enough. Fayra set her bag on the bed, right in the center, hands still on the handle. The room needed a good cleaning, but surely there would be time enough for that. Very slowly the medic forced the screaming muscles of her hands to relax on open up, releasing the handle finally. Each palm had four crescent-shaped scores where her fingernails had been digging in for so long.

It wasn't long before Fayra emerged back into the hallway again, palms flat against her legs. "I think we were going to the bridge?"  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

Jaden watched Fayra shuffle past hir, shifting as the doctor walked closer to put hir back to the wall. Once Fayra was within touching distance, Jaden was watching her hands. So far the doctor hadn't let go of the bag, but that didn't mean she couldn't pull a knife or a gun suddenly. And so Jaden watched with dark eyes narrowed warily until Fayra disappeared into her room. While the doctor was doing...well, whatever it was that Fayra was doing in that room, Jaden paced to stand with hir back to the the bridge, leaning against the wall.

When Fayra reappeared, Jaden straightened and nodded slightly. "Bridge's through here. Cap's got her own room, but most times you can find her in here."

With that ze turned and opened the door. There was a brief pause as Jaden contemplated the space in the bridge, their new doctor and hirself before the ship's muscle stepped inside and promptly sat in the copilot's seat.

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】  

[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria

Aria smiled at Jas' words. "Perhaps then I will take advantage of the delay and visit the baths. It's a long flight and there's only so clean one can get with a cloth." The companion traced the neckline of her kimono with one hand, tilting her neck just right to expose the patch of skin which had no makeup just at the nape. Her show was for the workers, she usually couldn't help herself, not that she didn't enjoy teasing Jas occasionally as well.

"You should think about it too, Jaswinder. I'd suggest the same to Jaden, ze certainly could use a good dousing most days. Perhaps though, I shall leave these boys to their work so that our cargo can actually get loaded. mm?"

Aria's eyes turned toward where all of the workmen had stopped again, causing them to immediately start again at double speed.  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

"I have been thinking about one." Jas replied with a wry smile before shooting the men a look of warning. "And if you wait a bit, I'll escort you there. We've only got a couple more crates to go on. Provided you stop distracting them, it should be just enough time for you to find Jaden and the doc, say hi and grab your things. Ze's probably going to say no to the baths like usual and I suspect the doc's not all that into being in public spaces."

Several of the men had stopped working to give Jas a funny, contemplative look, but went immediately back to work when she looked back at them, one hand laid absently on her hat. Jas recognized that look. Men got it right before propositioning her and Aria. Or started propositioning Aria before deciding that they'd rather not find out how far Jas could put her boot up their a**.

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

 

[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

It was a bridge, interesting as bridges go but Fayra didn't know much about piloting anything; let alone piloting a space ship. She did look around politely though. She could actually imagine the captain here without much trouble even knowing her as little as she did.

Even with her hands free she didn't face much of a temptation to touch anything. She was used to medical equipment and it was interesting to compare the different dials visible here on the Bridge than what she was used to using the gauge her surroundings with.

While she stood with her back to Jaden, looking out at view of the docks she moved her hands from her legs, quickly checking her palms to see if the indents had faded yet, rubbing her palms to help.

"I don't know very much about ships, but it seems nice," if a little dusty and old. "I think I would spend all my time in port watching people walk by from here."  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

"Hey, whatever floats your boat, doc." Jaden shrugged. "Cap probably wouldn't object if you wanted to come up here and watch while I'm out fetching. Wouldn't be nobody but you up here until we leave. Once those crates get loaded, Cap'll probably be fussing over them unless Aria convinces her otherwise."

While Fayra's attention was turned outward, Jaden looked up at the ceiling absently. Ze didn't spend much time on the bridge and usually found the place boring or not a place ze wanted to be. There was just something about entering atmo that Jaden didn't particularly enjoy watching. It was probably watching the ship look like she was on fire.

With a thump, Jaden's boots hit the floor and the ship's muscle abruptly stood. "You wanna head to the infirmary now? You can make your list of stuff what we need, I can go out and get it and you can come back up here and stare at folk out there."

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】  

[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria

"Sounds like a date." Aria leaned close and brushed her lips ever so slightly against Jas' cheek before crossing the cargo bay to enter the rest of the ship.

In passing she addressed the workmen one last time, "Good luck with her melons, gentlemen." Her words were as effective as Jas' look stifling their thoughts of touching either of the women.

In the hallway, Aria stopped to listen for the sounds of voices to see if she could locate Jaden and the new doctor. Without the engines running she could hear someone on the bridge and walked in that direction. Her sandals announced her approach long before she reached the doorway. Her grey eyes looked Fayra over when she reached the bridge, then turned her head to smile at Jaden.

"Jaden, you look wonderfully you today." As much as she loved her own sense of fashion and choice of clothing, she admired Jaden's as well. She had told hir that shortly after their first meeting. Without being intimidated by the muscle's larger size or atmosphere, Aria walked to hir and leaned up to lightly brush Jaden's cheek as well. "Will you introduce me to our new doctor?"  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

As Aria leaned close, Jas leaned down slightly. It wasn't hard to guess what her First Mate was going to do the moment she had started leaning close. Lips brushed across her cheek, light as a butterfly fluttering past and then Aria was moving away. By the time the Companion was a yard away the stern scowl had reappeared on Jas' face as a warning to what would happen if any of them decided to try their luck on either the tall blonde or Aria.

"What are you lot looking at? I suggest you work faster or you might disappoint the lady." Jas snapped.

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

Jaden's expression warmed when the wooden clunk of Aria's sandals approached the bridge. That warmth turned into a broad, but slightly confused grin at Aria's words.

"Who else would I look like?" The ship's muscle asked rhetorically as ze leaned down slightly so Aria could reach hir cheek easier. "Aria, this is the doc. Doc, this is Aria. She's a Companion, not a goth with a weird sense of fashion."

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】  

[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria
Fayra Gardiner

"As long as you don't start dressing like Jaswinder, I'm content." Aria smiled up at Jaden then turned her grey eyes to Fayra again.

Fayra also heard the approach of the wooden sandals, turning to see what the sound was and who came in through the door. She was a bit speechless as she looked at Aria- her clothing was so different... even for a companion.

"Um... I'm Fayra Gardiner, ma'am." Fayra kept her position on the farther side of the room, smiling as naturally as she ever did.

Adept at reading body language, Aria left Fayra her space, smiling across the abyss of the bridge to her. She bowed elegantly, palms on her legs and back straight.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." The funny thing about Aria, she always meant it when she said that, warm sincerity in her voice. "I hope you decide to travel with us, it will be nice to have someone new to spend time with on the trip."

"I think so..." the doctor played with her hands and flicked her eyes from Aria to Jaden and back.

"Jaswinder and I are going to the baths, either of you are welcome to come. There wont be a better chance to get good and clean between here and Sihnon." Aria didn't expect either to accept the invitation, but put it out there anyway.

Fayra shook her head without thinking about it. "Oh no, thank you. If it is alright I would much rather wait here on the ship."  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

Jaden's derisive snort was all the muscle had to say about the idea of dressing like the captain. For a moment it looked like Jaden was going to say something before ze crossed hir arms and watched the two women interact with some level of interest. Aria was always better with people in a not-hitting-or-shooting-them sense than either Jaden or Jas.

"I'm good." Jaden grunted. "You know my opinion of the baths. Soaking's nice, but it ain't worth it. We're going to go through the Infirmary then I'm going out to fetch and the doc wants to watch folk do every day things from up here." Jaden paused and looked at Aria then down the corridor before looking back at Aria. "Might want to grab some of Cap's things. She's like to forget to take them with."

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】  

[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria
Fayra Gardiner

Aria nodded and gave Fayra another warm smile. "By all means, don't let me stop you. I will see both of you." A smaller, less formal bow and Aria left the bridge to walk toward the crew quarters. She found her own bathing kit, change of clothes, and wrapping for the kimono in her room. In the captain's quarters she found some clean clothes and less-scented soaps for her use at the baths.

The companion's sandals clonked their way back to the cargo bay, stepping out to see if the last of the crates had been loaded onto the ship yet.

--

Fayra watched Aria leave, then turned her attention to Jaden again. "Perhaps we should go to the infirmary then?" Her eyes studied Jaden's face while it was still relaxed from Aria's presence, waiting for hir to take the lead.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

Jaden gave Fayra a small smile and held up a finger, indicating that she should wait a moment. The tall Asian waited until ze heard Aria's retreating footsteps heading back toward the cargo bay before lowering the finger. It wasn't that Jaden didn't want to run into Aria again so much as ze thought it would be for the best if the three of them didn't try to move around each other in the narrow corridor. Something told Jaden that Fayra might appreciate that.

"Let's go." Jaden grunted, leading the way down the corridor, through the dining area and down the stairs toward the infirmary.

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

Captain Jas Sturm

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

"What are you lot standing around for?" Jas snapped at the men, who were finding excuses to stand around in her cargo bay.

All of the crates had been loaded and secured long ago enough that several of the men had decided to sit on various items in the cargo bay, but recently enough that Jas had decided they were being idle enough. Particularly once the captain heard Aria's sandals clomping down the stairs back into the cargo bay.

"Well? I'm sure your boss has other things for you to do. Get going and get off my gorram ship."

████████████████████████████████ █ █ █ █████

 

[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

When Jaden stopped then, Fayra looked momentarily confused but stopped in her tracks. She didn't think it was something she needed to worry about if Jaden's smile was any indication. Patiently, Fayra toyed with her fingers, eyes flicking occasionally up to look at Jaden. Only when she heard the sound of Aria's sandals did she quite pick up on what they were waiting for.

Once Aria had left they wound up in the infirmary. Once there, Fayra spent a few moments looking around the space before really getting to work. Her body language changed as she started to go through the contents of the room thoroughly. The nervousness in her movements was replaced by purpose.

As she worked, Fayra made a list. She kept to the primary things she felt were missing, not really feeling certain enough about her position on the ship to ask for more. Somewhere in the middle of the process, the medic passed just close enough to Jaden ze could catch a breath of a soft floral scent.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】

Jaden had opted to stand outside of the infirmary while Fayra puttered around inside. Mostly it was so ze could stay out of the way in the cramped space, but also because it was fairly clear that neither of them were all that comfortable with standing near each other yet. In Jaden's case it was because Fayra wasn't really crew yet and had the possibility of not being safe. For a while, Jaden watched the ship's new doctor while leaning against the doorway and fiddling with the beads around hir wrist. Fiddling with beads eventually turned into undoing the string and letting one end fall with the soft clattering-clink of stone beads on stone. Following some slow rhythm in hir head, Jaden pulled a bead into hir hand. Then another. And another. All with the soft click of stone against stone. The rhythm in Jaden's head was absorbing enough that ze barely noticed when Fayra walked past close enough that ze could smell her perfume.

Shortly after Fayra passed by, Jaden looked up again while still playing with the beads. It was interesting to see the nervousness disappear as Fayra moved about. It was good. A nervous doctor was not one that Jaden really wanted pulling a bullet out of hirself. And it was probably good for the doctor. Even Jaden knew that that much stress couldn't be good for a person.

【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】【✪】