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 Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:44 pm
Scenario 7: Ah, the joy of a wild goose chase...
It had all started with a comment.
Yep, just one. Sweet, innocent, and seemingly oh-so-innocuous as could be.
"So, have you set a wedding date yet?"
There was no doubting that Langston meant well (which Moacyr had insisted on his behalf repeatedly while dragging her gleeful husband out back for a long 'talk' on appropriate conversation topics), but it was still more than enough to compel Yossarian-Lang Romanovitch Vandrooghenbroeck the Thirteenth to beat a hasty retreat from the household as soon as his legs were able, snatching Aster in the middle of the night to flee like a couple of convicts into the darkness without a tra--
... Okay, so maybe he'd actually left a letter of thanks and bid the women of the household more 'proper' farewells than he'd admit to, but the analogy still fit well enough anyway.
It had taken a full two weeks for him to regain his mobility, and even now, days after the cane had been left behind at the foot of 'his' bed, there was still a slight unevenness to his step here and there. Being shot in the leg could do that to a guy, after all, regardless of how tough he happened to be.
But they'd eventually made their way out of Porooskia and through the thick forests of the northwestern peninsula (with a few nights of camping in the wilderness, HA) and back onto flat 'plains' again, running across a small mixed encampment where there just so happened to be a Koshka airship docking for supplies and... well, as luck would have it, the vessel was bound for Salig.
Something about 'meeting up with the flying city to go home', the guy said. Yeah, whatever. Good enough for him (and no pirate terrorists to be found, thank god).
... Which had left the pair firmly Salig-bound by air, spending a full day stuck on the puttery little craft (it was a rickety and ancient ship lacking in speed, sadly) until, with the first rays of light over snowy mountain peaks, they made a safe (THANK GOD) and lamely uneventful touchdown in the enormous docking grounds.
But why were Yossarian and Aster traveling off to the frigid cold of such a city again? Wasn't it full of dreadful memories and Bad Karma?
Oh, yes, it was. But it was also the last place that their other wayward companions had been spotted-- of which they had (somehow, though god only knew WHY) resolved to try and find again.
Still, it had been a good month and a half at least... Who's to say that Shae and Kanda were still even alive (HA), let alone in the territory?
It'd be an interesting search, to say the very least.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 1:20 pm
Yes, talk about weddings had been the one comment that had easily made Asteria retreat from Langston's company for a good amount of time. At least until she was practically dragged out of bed in the middle of the night in a half-awake stupor.
Eloping?
Well, certainly not, but someone was bound to have believed such. Ah well, if they wanted to think that, they could be surprised by a real wedding later. Maybe.
Maybe.
Camping out was something Asteria was definately not used to, but she wasn't, at least, a little prissy girl with 'ZOMG DIRT ON HER CLOTHES' (Which, thankfully, were hers now. Moacyr had taken her out to get something of her OWN to wear..) but there was a noticable discomfort in it...
..
As there was with being on the ship, but that was a little more well-founded, leering at the La'Dor Reaches out the window as they passed over them.
Not that the area gave nothing but unpleasant memories, but damn if she never wanted to go there ever again. She was quite happy without nearly freezing to death again.
But going back to Salig to start their 'hunting' again wasn't a bad thing, overall. Worse case scenerio, it would just be the two of them for another length of time (and this time there was no cult to get in a rut with!) until they found the other two.
Really.
Asteria had no doubts the other pair were still alive and well. Really, Kanda had been the most unscathed of the group.
The city was busier this time around, Asteria noticed, looking around as people bustled past (Oh god, she felt like she needed a coat now, she'd been a tad more bundled before!) and shivering a bit.
"Any ideas on what's happening to get all this traffic?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:59 pm
Oh, what a relief to finally be back on solid ground again, free of the stuffy, creaky, unstable little excuse for an airship and all its possible hazards. It had really been something of a 'last resort' option for Yossarian who, under any other circumstances, would've probably just braved the extra time delay of hoofing it... but alas, a gimp could only go so far on foot before said foot gave out and crumpled like tissue paper.
Oh, sigh. He'd look forward to being rid of his injuries completely, really.
Unlike Aster, however, he'd given the weather enough forethought to grab a jacket back from his house (... okay, maybe Mother had shoved it on him) as well as a decent sized travel bag to haul over one shoulder-- which he paused to dig into as soon as they'd stepped out to the docks and...
"Here." He shoved it at her as soon as it was removed (what, even the jacket was drab violet? and too big for her, no doubt) before taking a good survey of the "terrain" around them. Honestly, the cold didn't bother him that much; his dense fur was surprisingly warm so long as it didn't get waterlogged or anything.
... Hnn. Quite a bit of traffic around indeed. Everyone seemed to be scrambling left and right for some odd reason, though it took him a minute before-- oh!
"I would infer from the activity and persons involved that Xorosho will be docking in the near future," he reasoned matter-of-factly, watching as a few burly men (young and middle aged) shuffled about stacking crates, griping, fussing and barking orders amongst themselves. Yep, it seemed logical enough. "All of this activity can more likely be attributed to the preparations for cargo and fuel loading."
Although that was of no consequence to them, so they could just flee the scene before the flying city ever touched d-- .........
...... Why had a giant shadow just fallen over the entire dock?
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:24 pm
"Oh... thank you."
She took the coat (Oh, as if he would have allowed her to refuse it) and put it over her shoulders, holding the front closed as she too looked over the scene. It did seem to be a bit of a hullabaloo, really.
"Xorosho? That's..." pause. Yes, she had been given a few odd 'So you don't look stupid out in the world' lessons, but that didn't mean she'd be reciting anything off the top off her head too easily. "Oh. Ok-.."
She seemed to have understood up until her sudden silence at the dark sha-
...
....
Holy <********> that was a big ship. Aster was totally intimidated by the idea of that suddenly falling out of the sky and down upon her, automatically leaning against Yossarian's side (though more discreetly than 'ZOMGSAVEME', more of a slight push really) and staring up at it.
"Holybigthing.."
She'd been told it was 'big', but nobody could really prepare someone from the boonies (she might as well have been) for such a thing. Even moreso for the bigger shock that followed it.
There was a woman at the docks... wait.. woman? Woman. Damn, was that a woman?
Aster wrapped one arm around Yossarian's and pointed towards the woman: The spitting image of Kanda. For more of a surprise? Once the hatch to the ship had opened a big, and very angry looking, Koshka man in uniform came off of the ship to greet the woman.
..
If not rather coldly.
Ahhh.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:43 pm
Well this was certainly odd timing on their part, huh. Not that such a supposedly grand 'event' would have any effect on their 'mission' of sorts (oh so he thought, HA), just standing there and watching as the giant floating city touched down, landing in its own monstrous open dock section (obviously reserved for just that purpose) and throwing open the hatches, ramps, and-- ...
"...?" He half-growled a little questioning sound when Aster suddenly commandeered one of his arms for latching purposes, looking back at her briefly, then forward again, following her gaze to try and pick out what she was staring and pointing at (aside from the giant 'holybigthing' she'd gibbered about earlier).
Huh, it was a woman, but not just that; her resemblance to a certain rival was absolutely uncanny. Such strong oriental features weren't even close to common, either...
And some stiff looking official was 'greeting' her (if such an impersonal thing could be called that). How strange and... coincidental feeling. And weird. So weird. But it just couldn't be, right? That was too ridiculously convenient to happen by chance!
"... There's no possible way," he grumbled, frowning slightly and looking back at her again. "Let's simply continue about our business for now... These docks are full of wretched curmudgeons and scoundrels bound to cause trouble if we linger."
Yes, that sounded like a good plan!
... But did anything really ever go as planned?
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:58 pm
The attention was all she'd needed before she'd returned his arm while he looked over the pair she'd motioned to, frowning a little.
Apparently he didn't exactly agree with her own thoughts on the matter, but that was to be expected. Sure the cooincidence was insane, but it wasn't that impossible, was it?
...
..
Well, maybe it was. She certainly didn't though so, though. "There's a lot of things that I've thought weren't possible, but turned out to be so." she commented, giving him a stern stare, before she moved from his side to approach the pair...
..
At least until the man started to hiss and ramble about 'His son and a pesky kid called 'Liam' ruining him'. Oh yes, that was enough to make her fur puff up just a tad before she retreated right back to Yossarian's side.
.....
..
"Nevermindhe'sangryandmadandramblingabouthiskid.."
Ah ha ha. So cute when she'd been intimidated right back to his more protective company.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:16 pm
Dammit, he didn't want to admit it, but the woman had a point. Normally impossible (or at least INCREDIBLY IMPROBABLE) things had happened before, on multiple occasions, even, so who was to say that they hadn't just blindly stumbled upon some miraculous 'break' in their case?
God forbid that Fate itself was actually trying to drag them all together again... right?
Well Aster was obviously beyond any semblance of usefulness on the matter, seeing as she'd just shrank right back against his side like a cowering kitten (which she was, more or less) and started rambling so fast that it barely sounded like discernible language. Great. That meant he was really on his own for this... plus whimpering baggage.
"Just... stay behind me and remain silent," he instructed her, with one of those heavy, Oh God Why Am I Even Doing This sighs. "You are to bel-- give no information whatsoever if asked, understand?" Oooh, even forcing himself to use little words to insure no misinterpretation? What was he planning?
And now he'd taken to striding right over, scowling deeply for some odd reason...
"Excuse me for a moment, but..." Unlike his companion, there wasn't a hint of fear to be had in him-- and why would he be? "Have either of you seen a gray-furred young tabby fellow in black and white dressage recently?"
What, he wasn't just coming out and asking if the man and woman were related to him? Was he playing stupid?
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 4:44 pm
She didn't mean to be useless, but one couldn't blame her for fleeing from a terrifying looking older father-man. Well, he hadn't prooven himself to be a father yet, but someone that old and apparently married had to have had a kid or two stashed away somewhere.
....
.....
But like a good little follower, Asteria was all but latched to Yossarian's back, peering over his shoulder as the man turned his head sharply to look at the pair.
Go figure, some strong capable looking boy with some useless tramp for company.
Internally, even Aster seethed, feeling the emotion aimed at her.
"I've seen nothing of that sort in the last two weeks." he replied with a slight hiss, earning a pat on the arm from his more gentle-natured mate who offered... well, she seemed to be smiling, but the muscles in her face barely moved.
"Darling, would it be so hard to be nice?"
She continued to give him this very mellow stare, until he grimaced, apparently at his own weakness to her wiles, before he returned his glare back to Yossarian.
"If you're looking for a young man of that description, that would leave us both searching for the same thing."
Awwww, that seemed to have made his wifey oh-so-pleased, before she pitched in to the topic as well.
"My husband was just telling us how our darling little boy had left for Vodenska with a friend."
"That boy will ruin him, you realize?"
Well, she seemed to pay no mind to that.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:07 pm
Good god, the impossible really was happening all over again, huh? For as stupidly and ridiculously impossible as it was, the two Koshka in front of him just had to be the parents of his scowling ri-- ... wait, what 'boy' were they talking about? Kanda didn't seem like the type for hanging around anyone of his own free will except-- ......... oh.
Oh.
... Okay, yeah, they were definitely talking about the same people. There was no doubt in his mind now (despite how ludicrous the odds were).
"So... you've seen him in the recent past, then?" Two weeks was a lot better than six, at least, so it was something to go by-- but just to clarify...
"This... son of yours." He was cautious with his wording, glancing from the more official (and sinister) looking male to his wife (married, right? it seemed that way) and clearing his throat a bit. "For clarification purposes... he has a crooked right ear and coloration much like your own, Ma'am? And... Vodenska, you said?"
Just how had they come across that information, anyway?
... He had a sneaking suspicion that the husband was probably responsible for that somehow.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 5:43 pm
The man looked ready to hiss out of frustration before his wife pat his arm with a look of 'Calm down now'. Oh yes, like any good wife, she technically wore the pants.
"I haven't, but my husband was just talking about him."
She motioned for the male to continue. Which he did after looking at her with a look on his face that said 'Why do you do this to me?', before sighing deeply. Oh, he was totally frustrated on the topic.
"The ear was the work of our daughter, and he has a burn in the middle of his chest."
Oooh, bragging about his own handiwork, was he? Not that such a thing would have been obvious to anybody out of the loop of what had happened.. including his wife who looked oh-so-obliviously at him with a slight frown.
"And yes, Vodenska. He left shortly after he boarded the ship. I checked at the dock."
Aster frowned a bit.
If there was anybody to have 'suspicious daddy vibes', it would be Asteria, carefully coming out from behing Yossarian to link arms with him... just to be leered at by the 'Father Character'.
Oh yes.
She could sense the 'DO NOT APPROVE' of it. But she was a good girl and didn't comment.
"What are you looking for Yuu for?"
Ooooooh, scandal.
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:25 pm
While one part of the dark male was firmly focussed on the task at hand (aka discretely wringing information out of their new 'lead'), there was another part of him who couldn't help but be fascinated-- and slightly horrified-- by the behaviors of the wife. Sure, his own mother did the very same thing with reigning Daddy Dearest in, but... he hadn't thought it was a standard of marriage, either!
... Particularly when the husband reeked of such DO NOT WANT and intimidation as The General.
And just why would such a person be hounding after his son via dock checking? Did that mean Kanda had purposely fled from him for some reason? Good lord, now there was a weird thought to wrap his brain around.
Yossarian took a moment to purposely tug Aster a bit closer to him, perhaps some passive-aggressive gesture of This Isn't Your Business To Disapprove Of, but never losing eye contact with the one glaring. Nope, no angry military man was about to get any sheepish response out of him.
"I see..." Calm and collected as ever (okay, that was actually pretty rare for him-- but he was good at it). "I'm looking for him to settle a certain score, as it stands. He took something exceptionally important to me."
Wait-- what? Just what in the world was he getting at now?
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:01 pm
She did very well to not squeak in surprise when she was tugged closer to the male, looking up at him with an almost confused expression. Nothing wrong with the slightly affectionate gesture, but she had to try so hard to not go into a purring fit.
Beinggoodbeinggoodbeinggood. Ahhh, it was kinda nice, though.
Oh, she could feel the response from the male reeking of still further not approving of it (perhaps the fact that Asteria had been hiding behind Yossarian a minute previously), but it was obvious that it had been noticed as he didn't even glanced towards the female after the little steadfast show of dominance.
Aster wore the pants, but Yoss was so on top.
Awww, look at him, being all calm and official. She wouldn't coo and purr at him to ruin it, but she would just be her little female self and admire it. It was sort of adorable, really.
The wife frowned a little bit, seeming to look at Yossarian and Aster with a 'Hmm, have I seen these two before?' (oh, she technically had. Hard to not miss the girl who got stabbed and the one who had rushed to her aid) while the General placed his hand over hers (there, now they were looking couple-esque..) and frowned deeper.
"Exceptionally important monitarily or sentimentall-"
Ooh, he so just got elbowed by his wifey.
"Well, if you do find him, please don't beat him up too badly," oooh, appraising Yossarian higher than her son in terms of ability there? "And tell him Ai and I" Tongue twister much? "would like to see him every now and then."
She looked up at her husband expectantly.
The General rolled his eyes.
"If you can pry that boy off of him, then do as you will. And yes, it was Vodenska."
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:31 pm
... Well she'd better not have broken out cooing and purring at him, dammit, because that doting would've ruined all his hard work and effort on male posturing thusfar. Sure, some people might consider having an affectionate woman present as some sign of masculine charm, but... Nope, definitely not the case here.
As for the General's question... well, that had caused a slight stiffening in his posture there, but thankfully he wasn't forced to answered, as the wife had elbowed and reigned her husband back in place without a moment to spare.
"... I'll be certain to carry on that message once I'm through with him," he stated, as calmly as he'd ever been, and giving the woman-- Minako (not that he knew her name)-- a passive look of... what?
Was that something vaguely akin to gratitude?
"Thank you for humoring my questions." And with that said, and nothing more, he nodded ever-so-slightly (a hint of respect, maybe? or feigned, at least) and turned on his heel, giving the arm with his little Aster-cling-on a slight tug. "Let's go, then. We've... issues to attend to. "
Huh, was that it for the encounter? Really? Just question and flee?
And what was he talking about with those 'issues' now?
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:46 pm
Aster would have given both figures a proper farewell of her own if she hadn't just been tugged off scene right then, refraining from making any exclamation of surprise, instead just tucking her arm around his (once again) and.... Ehh, she'd do well to not purr for now.
What issues did they have to attend to?
Well, it seemed they'd be heading to another dock t-.. Oh god, Aster didn't want to get onto another ship so soon. Especially if it was going to be another small ship.
......
..
Was she allowed to talk yet? She certainly hoped so, as it was odd question time: "How much of the 'reason we're looking for Kanda and the reason we're booking it now' were made up on the spot... and you didn't have to play dominant male over me..."
She paused, then leaned her head against his shoulder.
"But thanks for doing it anyways."
Hey, at least she wasn't throwing herself on him in public.That.. would have been something harder to train herself out of doing. No lynching with affection or else she'd still do it once they found Kanda and Shae.
Well... looks like she wouldn't have to board the big city from the sky, would she.
..
...
would she?
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:06 pm
He made a point of (VERY) swift departure from the scene, carrying himself as quickly and strongly as he was able down the docks and refusing to allow even the slightest of lameness until they were far, far out of range from the gray-furred couple. Only then did he seem to breathe a sigh of relief (was it relief) and seem to ease up... er, well, just a little.
"... The vast majority was a spontaneous bluff," he confessed after a pause, expression lightening to more of a grimace than a frown-- back to the 'old' self once more. "I have no reason for presenting myself as the son's ally in front of the disgruntled father..." Then a pause, as if contemplating whether or not to elaborate.
"It's something like the ancient concept of of the enemy of one's enemy being viewed as an ally," he finally added. "And to paint ourselves as anything less would more than likely earn that man's hostility."
... Well damn, he was quite a sharp tack when it came to assessing one's 'enemy' on the field, huh?
"And gratitude is... unnecessary," but what, still not done yet? "Let's find some suitable accommodation to break for the day, then, before boarding a ship for Vodenska tomorrow morning."
Oooh, so they were getting a day's break? What a nice little gesture!
That, and his poor injured leg (not to mention his BRAIN) probably couldn't have taken another day-long flight without just dropping off or something. Ugh.
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