Mission of Mercy (poetlore and dunruffle)

[PoetLore]

Cass was leaning against Erik's shoulder watching everything with wide appreciative eyes. The lyrics were speaking to her mind and the images invading her heart and soul. The captain holding that photo brought tears to her eyes and then she was clapping and cheering along with everyone else. "That was so moving..." And then blackness before the next song started. She could hardly contain her anticipation. Holding her breath waiting to see what could possibly top that, and there was the same captain...young and strong with the woman from the picture at his side. And again the lyrics were speaking to her. How well she understood not wanting to live in between...having and not having...caring and not taking that little step to accept or give more. And then the captain seemed to turn and look at her and Erik and Dante and Jenn as if they knew things that the people themselves didn't even know, and she blushed but her arm slipped around Erik's back and hugged him.

Jenn was thinking that maybe Nadia was right about taking chances after all. This was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen in her life. Part of her wasn't sure she'd ever be willing to admit it, at least not to Nadia, but she was enjoy this. When that sparkling lady looked at Dante and her she felt shivers run up and down her arms. She leaned closer, "Are they looking at us?" She asked trying to be sure she wasn't imagining things.

Harrison was having a very nice time watching Nadia bounce around and be excited. he liked seeing this side of her. "This is spectacular..." When the light show seemed directed at their group he lifted a brow, "You know those people?" he asked wondering who it was and trying to squash down the spike of jealousy that ripped through him at the thought.

 

[Dunruffle]

As the musicians struck up another dance inducing tune, Nadia got back on the barge controls and steered the floating hunk of metal back towards the spacedock scaffolding. Erik simply hugged Cassandra close as spotlights, multi colored lasers, and clouds of fog erupted from the musician platform. The bearded medic simply content to take in the festival of sights and sounds with Cassandra by his side. Dante had given the holographic captain a quick two finger salute before he vanished, Dante then laughed and nodded in response to Jen. "I think that girl was looking at you, but its weird how lifelike they acted. Up until the end I thought it was some pre-recorded holograms, but when she winked at us...it gave me goosebumps."

With a slight bump, Nadia parked the hoverbarges as a helpful party-goer tied a line to the scaffolding railing. Stepping back from the controls, Nadia smiled at Harrison and shook her head. "I don't know them personally. I mean I know of them but never interacted with any of the group members. Those guys are one of the all-time best underground music groups in my opinion. They are true artists, they create these shows purely for everyone to experience. No overpriced tickets or record deals like some other groups that started off small but sold their souls to big labels once they blew up." Nadia then turned to face everyone with a beaming smile on her face. "I am so glad you all got to experience this. This group is my favorite for a reason. So what do you all want to do now? We can stay here and mingle or we can go see something more...exciting." Nadia smiled devilishly as she ended her vague suggestion. Kirst consulted with his squad and then turned to Cassandra. "We are down for either option. You have a preference doc?" While everyone was conversing, Natalya was still staring at the spot where the holographic couple had been with a somewhat somber expression clouding her face.

 

[PoetLore]

This was like a dream land to Cass, and she was enjoying the escape more than she thought she would. Normally if she was away from work this long, she'd start to mentally go back and worry about things being done as she'd want, but not tonight. Tonight the sounds and sights and especially the company had her totally in this moment. Leaning closer to Erik, she let herself enjoy the closeness without over analyzing it. when the barge began to move again she was glad of his hold on her.

Jenn smiled up at Dante, "Shivers huh?" she grinned and leaned into him. "That was pretty amazing...I'm not sure how they did it, but it really was very lifelike...and the ship..wow...that was fantastic."

Harrison smiled at Nadia, "I can tell this is something special to you. Thanks for sharing it with us." He wanted to say sharing it with him, but that hadn't been the case. He wasn't sure why but something seemed a bit off to him and he couldn't exactly put his finger on it. He glanced over at Natalya trying to gauge her mood or alertness.

Cass lifted a brow, "More exciting than this? It's not possible..." She scoffed and then shrugged a bit, "However...if there IS such a thing...I'd like to see it!" She looked around the group, "How about you guys?"

 

[Dunruffle]

Erik nodded in agreement with Cassandra as he helped her off the barge and onto the metal catwalk. "I mean I have no idea what could compete with all this. But the night is still young, lead on Brunel." Letting out an excited cheer, Nadia jumped onto the catwalk and began making her way to a nearby crowd of party-goers. "Alright, first let me ask around and get directions." After conversing with some inebriated teens, Nadia returned to the group and pointed at a metal door on the far side of the ramshackle stadium. "Alright guys, we need to get to that door. Follow me!" With Nadia leading the way, the group had to navigate through several large crowds, some sort of hookah lounge, and past a gaggle of scantily clad dancers until they finally reached the door. Pulling open the heavy door with ease, Nadia guided everyone through another service tunnel. Compared to the tunnel they all entered in, this one was almost completely covered in glowing paint. The ceiling of the tunnel had been turned into a star filled sky as the walls were covered in everything from gang graffiti to art that looked like it belonged in a museum.

Exiting the somewhat cramped service tunnel, Cassandra and friends found themselves on the side of another large pedestrian footpath. With Nadia leading the way, the group found themselves going even deeper into the city planet. Several times the group descended in rickety cargo elevators that sparked and creaked ominously as they chugged downwards. The crowds slowly faded away and the wide footpaths were replaced by dirty alleys and narrow streets home to shady storefronts and destitute hovels. Eventually, Nadia came to a stop and pointed at a doorway with a yellow neon sign in the shape of a winged shoe. "Here we are! Took a bit but we got here no sweat!" Beckoning for everyone to follow her in, Nadia walked down a short hallway that ended in a set of dirty double doors guarded by two muscular men. Approaching the two men cheerfully, Nadia held up her hands in a non-threatening manner as the two men regarded her suspiciously. "Hi! I am showing my friends around and I heard that the races were being held here." The larger of the two guards nodded and held out a hand expectantly, "cover fee. You know the rules, keep it civil or we gonna have a problem. You wanna bet creds, you gotta wait till the next race is over then bet at the beginnin." Nadia grinned and nodded enthusiastically as she placed a handful of credit chips in the guards palm. "Got it! Thanks!" After the guard stuffed the credits into his pocket, he nodded to his partner who unlocked the set of doors and waved everyone through.

Once inside, everyone would be patted down by another pair of thugs then allowed into the main hall. The large hall could easily fit a couple hundred people. Large vid-screens were mounted on the high walls and hung from the ceiling on thick cables. One side of the hall had a well stocked bar and tables occupied by people of all types watching the nearby screens. The other side of the hall had a row of money counters sitting behind a counter and surrounded by thick reinforced security cages. At the far end, several flashily dressed men stood on podiums and waved slips of paper as patrons held up their fingers and called out bets. But what the most defining aspect of the betting hall was what everyone was betting on. Broadcasted over every vid-screen was a live feed from a shoulder mounted camera attached to a runner. But what set these runners apart from everyone else was the race course they were running on. The runners dodged automated trams loaded with molten metal, vaulted over assembly lines, climbed up service ladders, and leaped over metal crevasses that seemed to descend even deeper into the planet. Turning to her friends, Nadia smiled excitedly. "So whatcha think? Unlike the boring horse races that people bet on, this stuff is actually entertaining to watch!"

 

[PoetLore]

Cass was glad Erik spoke up too. She smiled and gave his waist a squeeze of thanks and then they followed through the crowds, the smokey lounge and the dancers, which seemed to notice that Xanders and Kirst were quite. It made it a little harder to get through that area and enjoyed watching Xanders pretend to be 'afraid' of the advances. The walkways were not always wide, or secure feeling and the elevators were definitely a scary experience, but she found herself growing more and more excited about what could possibly be at the end of the long and winding road they were traveling.

She saw the two really big guys and watched Nadia speak to them as if she had not one once of fear in her body. She was rather is awe of her at the moment. Leaning into Erik, "Do you have any actual credits on you?" she asked, "I um...didn't bring any..."

Jenn followed and was terrified out of her mind more than once or twice or fifty times, but once inside the place, and past the touchy feely guards she was in awe of the place. "What are they....doing?" she asked blinking, "Are those people? how on earth??"

Harrison had a tough time on a few parts of the journey and he was sure Dante felt the same. There were a few cramped spaces and a few times he was wondering about their combined weight with their implants. Nadia's enthusiasm for the journey and their destination was contagious though, "Are those robots? Or enhanced humans?" he asked as he watched the screen.

Cass for her part was as always watching for injuries and problems. Occupational hazard ... and she winced a few times seeing burns and slices through the camera feed. "I think horse race was a little safer for the participants..."

Jenn looked at Nadia, " Do they have drinks here? That was a long freakin walk."

 

[Dunruffle]

Nadia laughed at everyone's reactions to the race being broadcasted all over the betting hall. "Hey this is a time honored Mendilo tradition. You see often times businesses will employ runners or couriers instead of relying on other means of communication that could be intercepted or hacked. After awhile, the runner community started holding little races to see who was the fastest. Well a bit later the Royals caught wind of this and saw a business opportunity, and that is how the Mendilo race houses got started. People love to gamble and runners are always competing for bragging rights. Plus the runner who wins the race gets a cut of the profits from the betting. Several champions from these races have gotten signed by professional sports teams and one runner even won the gold medal for track in the galactic Olympics. There have even been a few proffessional documentaries about the runners and races."

Turning to Harrison, Nadia nodded in acknowledgement of his comment. "Actually they have several different races. It wouldn't be fair if a regular runner went up against a runner with adrenal implants or bionic legs. There is the un-enhanced division for regular runners. Then you have several other race divisions depending on the amount of enhancements the runners have." Hearing Jen ask about drinks, Nadia pointed to the bar. "They should have some regular stuff if you don't want to get sloshed just yet. Don't worry, the bartender may look mean but he isn't gonna refuse credits. Just have Dante go with you if you need the emotional support. C'mon guys let's pull some tables together and sit down." With the Saints help, Nadia pulled three large tables together and gathered enough chairs for everyone to have a seat. Plopping down into a chair, Nadia looked over at Cassandra. "I can already tell you wanna know how dangerous the races are. Well they are officially illegal for a reason, runners get maimed or straight up die occasionally because the race courses usually go through the industrial areas of the Hub. Plus the whole thing was started so the Royals could make money so it isn't exactly a pure and wholesome sport to begin with. The race courses also change daily so the cops are never able to set up a stakeout to nab anyone. In my opinion though, compared to some of the more immoral stuff that goes on around the Hub these races are a reasonably safer way for the poor and needy to make some creds."

 

[PoetLore]

Harrison listened and then helped pull the tables together as well. "I've done stupider things for money myself, so i can't say I wouldn't have done this." he chuckled and shook his head, "I can't even say at this point in my life if the need arose that I wouldn't do it. Not sure what that says about me though. Maybe I haven't matured as well as I thought I had."He sat next to Nadia and leaned over to her, "Would you like something to drink?"

Cass was watching and wincing and then looked over at Nadia. "It looks dangerous...for sure. I do understand the need to do what you can for money though." She slid her hand over and twined her fingers with Erik's missing their earlier contact already. She looked over at Natalya, "You could crush that...not that you should try but I'm just saying...I know you could."

Jenn looked at Dante, "Yes...I need emotional support...anyone else need anything?"

 

[Dunruffle]

Nadia handed Jen a wad of credit chips with a smile. "Well since we are here might as well get something. I will have a beer, what about your guys Kirst?" Kirst nodded appreciatively to Nadia and then looked over at Dante. "A round of beers for us please." Nadia turned her head to look at Natalya who was watching the nearest vidscreen. "You want anything Nat?" Arching an eyebrow, Natalya waved her hand dismissively. "Since you are buying I will accept. A beer that actually has some taste for me." Dante laughed and gave Natalya a sloppy salute. "You got it Major!" Pulling Jen along with him, Dante went over to the bored looking bartender and began rattling off the order of drinks.

Natalya looked sideways at Cassandra as she crossed her arms defensively. "If I needed to participate my victory would be assured. But I do not feel the need to participate in such a pointless activity." Giving Cassandra one last glare, Natalya returned to watching the broadcast as Nadia rolled her eyes. "Oh c'mon Nat, I ran in a few races and it was a blast! Though I never actually won any of them. I came close to finishing first place one time but I almost got turned into a pancake by an industrial press machine. After that I figured I should stick to some of the more safer Hub activities."

 

[PoetLore]

Cass didn't look away from that glare, but instead held eye contact until Natalya broke it. She had hoped that this time away from the facility might enable them to rekindle the friendship they'd established when she first arrived, but it would seem that was not going to be the case and it broke her heart a bit. She did grin at Dante's salute though and leaned close to Erik who seemed to be anchoring her in this whole escapade. They weren't really getting much opportunity to talk, but she was glad he was close by and that he was allowing her to draw on his strength.

Harrison lifted a brow, "You ran one of these?" he looked at her and shook his head, "It's hard to image you any crazier than you are now, but you must have been even bolder back then." He smiled widely, "Wish I'd known that Nadia as well..." He was being serious, though he did wonder if they would have had anything at all in common at that stage of their lives, he'd bet not.

Jenn went with Dante and smiled at the tender who was just looking at them both expectantly until Dante started to order everyone's drinks. "Do you have any flavored beers? Like maybe Lime?" She didn't mind beer but preferred them to have some kind of added flavor to keep that overpowering bitter aftertaste from killing it for her.

Cass happened to look up at a screen right when someone miscalculated a jump and fell likely to their death. She winced and sucked in a breath, "Oh...not good..." And then she looked away to another screen. The doctor in her wasn't going to be able to watch that and stay in here and do nothing. She looked at Erik, "So...how are you enjoying all of this?"

 

[Dunruffle]

Nadia laughed and nodded to Harrison with a proud grin. "Yes I did run in a few races. But after my brush with death I figured I would at least graduate from the college I worked so hard to get into before doing anything like that again. Though my younger self was much more wild than I am nowadays. After living on a piece of shit rock with a piece of shit father all my life I wanted to enjoy life to the fullest once I had the chance. Luckily Mendilo had plenty of things to keep me entertained." Over at the bar, the chubby bartender began filling a tray with drinks as he listened to Jen's request. He rubbed his chin in thought then began rummaging around under the counter. After a few minutes of searching, the balding bartender placed a dusty bottle of beer on the counter. The label read "Zod's fungus ale!" The ingredients part of the label had faded away and the beer itself was a lime green color. Surprisingly the beer actually was not that strange or distasteful and had a mango flavored aftertaste. Giving a small smile to Cassandra, Erik gently squeezed her hand. "So far so good I think. Your friend Nadia seems to know her stuff so I don't think we can go wrong with her leading the way. She may be a little...unique...but she seems to have good intentions. Can't say I ever imagined attending an underground music show and going to an illegal betting hall featuring human death races. How about you? Your legs doing okay?"

 

[PoetLore]

Harrison grinned and impulsively kissed her cheek, "I find myself imagining you running around here and it makes me smile." He gave her a very commiserating nod at her mention of where she grew up and her family life. "I hear that. sad when you prefer the streets to being at home." He was still looking around the room observing people, even more than watching the actual races. The range of emotions on the faces of the betters was almost comical, but it was intense as well. His gaze returned to Nadia often though so he could enjoy this carefree, loose side of her.

Jenn was learning not to read labels and just pray for mercy. "Hey...this is really good..." She said with a nod to the tender, "Thank you!"

Cass wrapped her fingers around his hand when she felt the squeeze. "She is so different here...full of life and lightheartedness...it's wonderful to see it." He began running off the evening's events and she looked up at him and grinned, "I can't say I expected anything like this, but I'm happy so far." He asked about her legs and she gave a tiny shrug, "I think the new circle is more effective...I don't feel as tired but I've had a lot of times throughout the night I felt off balance. I've been more than grateful for your support." This time she gave his hand a squeeze, "And it's been nice to just enjoy your company without having to speak or battles, tactics or patients."

 

[Dunruffle]

When Harrison kissed her cheek, Nadia arched an eyebrow curiously but seemed to decide not to say anything about it. Dante returned with a tray full of drinks and began passing them out as Erik let out a short laugh at Cassandra's comment. "yeah, as much as I enjoy talking with you in the middle of a battlefield I can see where talking like this might be appealing." With a drink now in hand, Nadia kicked the table to get everyone's attention. "Since we are here let's have friendly wager. The next race will be starting soon, let's see who wins!" On the vidscreens, a view from a hovering camera drone panned over two men and two women taking their places at a hastily spray-painted starting line. Each wore a different colored headband and the crowd of gamblers at the front of the hall began making their wagers as the bet collectors called out the odds. One man wore a yellow headband while the second man wore a green one. The slightly taller of the two ladies wore an orange headband while the shorter one wore a white headband. Nadia waved over one of the bet collectors and gave him a friendly smile. "Hey there! My friends and I would like to try our luck." Fishing three credit chips from her pocket, Nadia handed them to the collector with a confident grin. "Fifteen creds on the guy in green." Surprisingly, Natalya tossed a large chip to the collector as she took a swig from her beer. "Twenty on yellow." Dante and Xanders both added their own bets on orange and white respectively while Erik fished out ten credits from one of his pockets. Turning to Cassandra, Erik twirled the credit chip between his fingers as the collector input the bets on his tablet. "Who do you think I should bet on? You seem to have a good eye for people."

 

[PoetLore]

Harrison tosses his ten credits in and nodded to the screen, "Ten on the lady in Orange." Jenn sighed looking at the four, "Ten on White." she said with a shrug, "I like to go for the underdog and she's the smallest of the group...kind of like me."

Cass made a face, "I'd be able to advise you MUCH better if I could be where they actually are...but...I'd say..." she looked at the four back and forth a few seconds longer and then tipped her head, "Green...try the green guy." If she was actually able to see these people at the start line she'd have had a very unfair advantage since her eye could have assessed a lot of data about them instantly. But, she was noticing the slightly more limber and lithe muscle structure of the man in green. She had nothing against women but she thought that generally they were a tad slower and a lot less strong, so in such a race they were at a definite disadvantage. she did hope though that all of them survived the run. she leaned over to Erik and whispered, "If you don't win I'll make it up to you."

 

[Dunruffle]

Erik let out a chuckle at Cassandra's offer and tossed in his bet. "Fifteen on green." The bet collectors input last minute decisions as the runners lined up and got into various starting positions. A small drone floated into view and took its place in front of the runners. The small drone then turned on a red light, which slowly changed to yellow then quickly turned green. The runners rocketed off as several camera drones kept pace. The race course seemed to go through some sort of raw metal processing facility. Carts loaded with rocks of all sizes trundled in long lines before depositing their contents into massive grinder machines. Mechanical arms fitted with high intensity lasers dug out precious stones from rocks slowly going by on a seemingly endless conveyor belt as vats of burning molten metal dumped their loads into house sized processing machines. The runners were still moving in a group, the two men slightly in front with the two women hot on their heels. They ran along rickety walkways that looked like they were only held together by rust as the crowd of gamblers cheered on their picks from the betting hall.

The runners suddenly veered onto a different path, sliding down a large ramp while dodging massive boulders that were dropped by automated trams. At the bottom of the ramp was a set of spiked rollers that were pulverizing the boulders into gravel and seemed to be eagerly awaiting the descending runners. The man in yellow jumped upwards and grabbed onto a hanging chain, using his momentum to swing upwards onto a different walkway. The woman in orange rolled of the side of the ramp and landed heavily on a conveyor belt going the wrong way as the man in green and girl in white continued their perilous slide. The two daredevils were now sliding at breakneck speeds and the rock grinders were coming up fast. A camera drone zoomed in on a narrow maintenance walkway between the sets of rollers, forming a tight gap between the deadly machines and a straight path towards the end of the race. The walkway looked like it could barely fit one person and it was clear the two runners we're aiming for the same path. Just when it seemed the man and woman were going to slide straight into death, they both leaped up and out towards the gap. Lady luck seemed to smile on the two daredevils as the man landed slightly ahead of the woman, but both managed to miraculously land on the walkway safely.

It was now down to the man in green and the girl in white. The man in yellow could be seen desperately trying to catch up far behind, having chosen the safer but slower route. The girl in orange was nowhere to be seen and had presumably been carted off somewhere else. The man in green rounded a corner with the girl in white right behind him, the pair now on the final stretch. A spray painted checkered line was painted across a distant platform, the obvious finish line to the dangerous race. The final stretch was no easy run. The path was filled with large cables crackling with electricity with a sheer drop on the left side and a conveyor belt on the right side. The conveyor belt carried chunks of processed metal that were methodically sliced apart by mechanical arms wielding cutting lasers. The man in green barreled down the path, his long legs allowing him to vault over the electrified cables with ease as the girl in white began to lag behind. Seeing her opponent widening the gap, the girl in white made a dangerous gamble and jumped onto the nearby conveyor belt. The moving belt added to her speed and was relatively clear of obstructions, but the laser cutters paid no attention and continued their work regardless if the girl would get in their way. Dodging, ducking, and jumping over lasers that could easily slice her in half, the girl passed the runner in green and jumped off the belt at the last second and slid across the finish line and crashed into a pile of metal boxes. There was a mix of cheers and shouts of dismay from the assembled gamblers as the their money was collected and divided amongst the gambling hall and the winners. Not surprisingly there were few gamblers who bet on the girl in white, but this meant that among the winning gamblers received a hefty payout. A one of the burly guards walked over to the table and dropped a small bag in front of Jen. The bag was filled with credit chips and was easily worth several thousand. Nadia smiled excitedly as Natalya huffed and gave Jen a small nod. "Damn Jen! Look at you little miss high roller!" Dante guffawed loudly as he patted Jen's back while the other Saints polished off their drinks. "Well I may have lost, but that race sure was something to watch. Congratulations on your victory Jen." Kirst smiled at Cassandra's subordinate as he set his now empty beer down on the table.

 

[PoetLore]

Cass cheered, "Nice going Jenn!" Looking at the pile of chips, "what are you going to do with all that??"

Jenn smirked, "Buy books of course...there has to be somewhere here that sells old books..." she gave Nadia and look, "And no offense but...get some normal food..." She handed a bunch of chips to Dante though, "Next round on me though!"

Harrison clapped, "I was going to say...how about a round for the losers..." He was shocked at the girl in white's daring gambit to win but after watching her he had to give it to her. She'd earned that win the hard way. "Girl in white had some guts...good on her."

Cass leaned over to Erik, "Sorry...second isn't good enough...he did good though." she bumped into his shoulder, "I'll figure out a way to make that up to you though. A promise is a promise."

 

[Dunruffle]

Erik laughed softly and gently bumped Cassandra back with his arm. "No worries. We have a whole week to figure something out" .Jumping up from her seat, Nadia downed the rest of her drink in one big gulp and turned to face the group. "I have a better idea, hold onto those creds for now Jen. The next place we are going to has plenty of booze. C'mon guys let's go!" Almost dragging Harrison behind her, Nadia gave a cheerful wave to the scowling bouncers and led everyone back to the main thoroughfare. After some more walking and riding elevators, they all were back on the upper levels of the undercity. Now that they were close enough to the top levels and away from the lower level ghettos, Nadia quickly found a taxi stand and summoned an autonomous hoverbus. Once everyone piled in, Nadia input a destination and turned around so she could see everyone. "I figured for our first night out we would finish by doing something relatively normal. We can save the hard partying for later in the week." After a short flight back to the tourism-focused upper levels. The hoverbus came to a stop at a city level filled with trendy nightclubs, upscale restaurants, and stylish clothing stores. Unlike the undercity, police officers could be seen doing routine patrols and quickly breaking up drunken fights between tourists. Taking the lead once more, Nadia immediately guided everyone to the entrance of a nearby bar. The large sign over the front door displayed a martini glass with musical notes floating in it and the words "Blue Sky Karaoke Bar" in glittering turquoise letters. While not as crowded as the other nearby bars, there was still a decently sized crowd and it took some smooth talking from Nadia to get a table big enough for everyone to sit together. A massive and well stocked bar dominated one side of the room while a small stage sat on the far side from the front entrance doors. Two young men were on stage doing their best to sing a rock and roll duet as their dates laughed and cheered them on. Plopping down into her seat, Nadia smiled excitedly as she looked at the small drink menu in front of her. "Alright everyone, ain't nobody here leaving without singing at least once!" Dante and Xanders both groaned loudly as Kirst tried to keep his laughing quiet. "Brunel I will buy you whatever drinks you want, please I can't sing for shit." Dante for once had a look of pure dread as he looked at the small stage like it was a dangerous animal. Nadia simply cackled evilly and shook her head, making Dante moan sadly and shrink down in his seat as Erik and Kirst burst out laughing.

 

[PoetLore]

Jenn slid the credits back into the bag and handed the whole thing to Dante, "You can guard that..." She smiled sweetly. she hadn't brought a handbag or anything she could carry something like that in so she figured he had bigger pockets at least.

Harrison wasn't prepared for her sudden change of plans so he was half a step behind her at first but his longer legs soon had him in step with her. She was a bundle of constant energy and he was quite impressed by how well she could keep her mood high even as the endless walkways and elevators seemed to stretch out before them indefinitely. He was glad to sit on the hoverbus, even if it was only for a few moments. He saw the neon sign and was HOPING for a nice jazz band, but no. Karaoke. And she was insisting that everyone sing. He grinned at Dante's expression. "Hey big guy...just pull up an old country song with a deep voice d singer and talk your way through it. Your speaking voice is pretty amazing." He looked around and sat down next to Nadia, "Nice crowd here...should be fun...they seem to be actually listening which is always nice." He wasn't going to say anything about anything, but he was more than a little familiar with this kind of setting.

Jenn smiled, "It is actually...deep and soulful."

Cass smiled at Erik, "this is true...I won't forget." They were off again and by the time the arrived at the bar she was feeling a bit like she had limp noodles for legs. She leaned into Erik, "Do you sing?" she asked hoping he said yes. "Have you ever sung a duet?" She was looking at the stage and that small step up onto it as if it was Mount Rushmore, "I can sort of sing..if I go up there alone I'm going to need help." she pressed her lips together obviously not happy about having to admit that. "Though...maybe if I sit a bit I'll be ok again..."

 

[Dunruffle]

Erik chuckled scratched his beard. "I never really have tried singing before so I don't know how good I might be. But if you need a song partner I am sure I can figure it out." While Erik and Cassandra talked, Nadia had gone up to the bar and returned with a tray full of hard liquor and shot glasses. "Alright let's get drinkin! I got vodka, whiskey, rum and gin. So everyone pour yourselves a shot of something and then I will go up and start us off. Since it seems a few of us are a little shy." Nadia poked Dante teasingly as the large man poured himself a shot of rum. "I'm gonna need more than a few shots if you want my tone-deaf ass goin up there."

 

[PoetLore]

Cass reached for the whiskey and poured herself a shot. "I'd love a partner...I don't want to fall on my face...literally." She confessed, "Know any old country duets?" she asked. "My brother and I used to sing whiskey lullaby...or maybe something from a musical?"

Harrison already knew what he was going to sing when his turn came. It was his favorite and it was older than he thought anyone here would know..but they should still have the music for it. Or he hoped they did.

Jenn grabbed the Rum and downed a shot and then poured another, "I'm right there with you Dante..."

Harrison watched Nadia though curious to see what she'd sing.

 

[Dunruffle]

Making her way through the somewhat crowded tables, Nadia went up to the stage and waited for the two young men to finish their song. As the song ended, the crowd gave a polite round of clapping as the smiling but embarrassed men went back to their dates. Seeing nobody else waiting to sing, Nadia hopped up onto the stage and began fiddling with the large karaoke console sitting on the side. This particular stage was actually part of a whole sophisticated karaoke system. Featuring a holographic band that would play the song, a holographic lyric display, and an optional scoring system that would compare your voice to the original song. Finished selecting her song, Nadia went up to the mic stand as the holographic band reset. Now featuring an older man sitting at a piano along with guitarist and drummer, Nadia took a deep breath as the small stage lights dimmed and focused on her. Surprisingly, the opening piano notes of the song were slow and somewhat somber as Nadia gently swayed in time with the beat. Slightly closing her eyes, Nadia began singing in a clear and soulful voice that made Kirst and Erik look at each other in surprise.

Can you feel it
There's a shadow over this town
We try to shake it
But it keeps on coming back around
The devil's in disguise
Gonna make you choose a side
Can you feel it
There's a shadow over this town

Strip me down and
Lay me bare
Cross your fingers
Something's there
Can't see what's underneath
The darkness runs too deep
I just keep on hoping that it's not too late for me

I wanna be a hero
But the villain's having more fun
Which one of us will wear the bigger bruises
When the war's done
There is no wrong or right
When you're fighting for your life
I wanna be a hero
But the villain's having more fun​

The ambient chatter of the bar had lowered in volume considerably as Nadia sang, many people stopping their drinking to enjoy the melancholic song. Opening her eyes, Nadia looked at Cassandra and gave her a sad smile as she sang. Clearly this song was a way for her to express her feelings about her current lifestyle and where her choices might bring her.

Strip me down and
Lay me bare
Cross your fingers
Something's there
Can't see what's underneath
The darkness runs too deep
I just keep on hoping that it's not too late for me

We all pick our poison
But it's a hard pill to swallow
Blurring the lines between what's good and what just feels good
We all pick our poison

Strip me down and
Lay me bare
Cross your fingers
Something's there
Can't see what's underneath
The darkness runs too deep
I just keep on hoping that it's not too late for me
I just keep on hoping that it's not too late for me​

As the song ended and the lights brightened, there was a round of applause from the bar patrons as Nadia smiled somewhat shyly and gave a quick bow. Walking off the stage, Nadia pushed passed various men and women trying to grab her attention and plopped back down in her seat. With a somewhat embarrassed expression on her face, Nadia quickly downed a shot of vodka and coughed softly. "Whoo! That stuff has some kick! Okay who is next? Any of you feel like you can top that?" Dante and Xanders simply downed another round of shots as Kirst laughed softly and nodded respectfully to Nadia. "You have a good voice Brunel, there anything you cant do?" Nadia chuckled and waved her hand dismissively as she poured a shot for herself. "There is plenty of stuff I'm not good at, I just don't let anyone see those parts of me. What about you lieutenant? You going up?" Kirst shook his head gently as he sipped from his beer bottle. "My karaoke days are long gone. I am just here to enjoy the show." Natalya meanwhile was keeping pace with Dante and Xanders as she downed another shot of vodka and looked at Nadia with an odd look on her face.