RSV Big Momma (TheCutest and Spectre of the Fade)

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Spectre of the Fade

Nerd
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
Genres
Fantasy, Sci-fi, Modern, Apocalypse, Action and adventure, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, People with Powers, some historical eras, lots and lots of other things. Feel free to ask.
It's the year 2255. Many races have made a place for themselves amongst the other denizens of the galaxy, including everything from humans to alfar to dádýr to tlak'lok. Peace between the many cultures has not quite been achieved, however, and there are dangerous, seedy corners on most every major planet.

This roleplay isn't about those.

Not yet.

This follows a small crew of one ship as they chart new routes and investigate unexplored systems, far from the reaches of pirates and criminals and other unsavory types.

At least, that's what they think. One never knows what might be out in space.


Icon is a cropped piece of art by tramauhh on Deviantart.
The original piece is here.

Name: Aeson Gallagher
Age: 28 in solar years
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Face Claim: Tyler Hoechlin

Physical Description
Aeson is of average height, with short and neatly trimmed dark hair and green eyes. He keeps himself fairly well groomed, but that isn't the most noticeable thing about him by far. No, his most distinctive physical feature is the "I murder puppies" scowl that is his unfortunate and unintentionally intimidating neutral expression. The fact that the only parts of his face he is frequently expressive are with his eyebrows helps exactly none.
As for his mannerisms, he has good posture but walks like a shy person, with his eyes lowered toward the ground and hands in his pockets or up his sleeves. He tries to gesture with his hands when he speaks for any length of time, but typically aborts the gesture before it's even really started.
Modifications/Tattoos, if any:
"Live Long and Prosper" in Vulcan down his spine
Asian-style red dragon full sleeve covering his right arm
No modifications or noteworthy scars

Personality Description
Diligent (+) - Anything Aeson chooses to do, he commits to. He does everything, from work to play to something as simple as listening to someone share a story, with the same single-minded and attentive focus.
Realistic (=) - Aeson is a realist at heart. If posed with the infamous question about the glass, he would respond by asking what exactly is in it.
Self-Depreciative (-) - Aeson is far harder on himself than he has to be, hyper-aware of his own flaws and the mistakes he makes with no idea how to fix his own behaviors. This shows in that he tends to apologize too much for his own mistakes and is often awkward about accepting compliments.
Efficient (+) - If one asks Aeson to do something, he does it with as little delay as possible. He doesn't do procrastination, and he doesn't appreciate it in others.
Analytical (=) - When it comes to external situations, Aeson is excellent at assessing problems and thinking them through to find a reasonable solution. This brand of thinking leaves him at a loss when it comes to dealing with emotions and emotional situations, however, including or perhaps especially his own.
Stoic (-) - Aeson's a difficult person to read, even if he's comfortable with a person. This makes him a naturally excellent liar, and he's not above using that skill.
Extroverted (+) - Despite his general awkwardness in social situations, Aeson does genuinely enjoy being around other people and does genuinely like listening to them. It's even more enjoyable if he doesn't feel pressured to respond.
Logical (=) - Aeson prefers to weigh the pros and cons before making decisions, tends to react to things in a reasonable and sometimes cold manner. People who are guided by emotion make little sense to him no matter how many questions he asks, so he tries to avoid them.
Socially Awkward (-) - Socialization has never been one of Aeson's strong suits. His lack of knowledge about how it works combines with his insecurity to deepen the problem.

Strengths:
Trained as a doctor, and is knowledgeable about the anatomy of species other than humans
Detail-oriented mindset
Attentive
Intelligent
Weaknesses:
Incessant worrier
Pacifistic to the point that violence makes him uncomfortable
Socially awkward
Easily embarrassed
Fears:
Being buried underground, fucking up simple social rituals, fucking up while treating a patient, fucking up in general
Other:
Pansexual
Has a younger brother, Oran, 25, who he exchanges vid messages with



Name: Cárunó'kita Malrue, goes by Carlisle
Age: 26 by Solar Years, (Dádýr do not use rotations to indicated age)
Gender: Male
Race: Dádýr
Physical Description:
Short to human male standards, average to his race, about 5'7". Has long, pulled back black hair (braided often) with a tanned complexion (spots look slightly lighter). His eyes are a green hazel and keeping clean is very important to Carlisle. Keeping clean in his culture is a sign that you value your own well-being and is important to keep their biolumin spots bright. Carlisle has had a lot of different experiences with meeting new people, and has figured being polite but shy usually works the best. That, and he may be a huge scaredy cat. Thus, he usually has a small smile on his face or a thoughtful expression. Dádýr have very expressive ears which they have little control over, so if he's smiling but his ears are pulled back that's an indication he's nervous and wishes to be elsewhere but doesn't wish to show that.
Modifications/Tattoos, if any:
Fell down a kapok tree when he was younger and has a lot of scars along his back and his left arm to indicate how brutal the fall was. Many of them have faded to near nothingness, but along his back are the worst remains of gashes.
Personality Description:
Knowledgeable (+): Has a talent for retaining information and is an expert in his biological studies. Also picks up new skills fairly well if they're tactile or memory based.
Adaptable (+): Is a quick thinker and will adapt to new situations much better than people normally would. This applies under stressful situations (depends on context).
Thoughtful (+): Is very observant and aware of other people's needs. Will keep other's emotions in mind when acting on his own accord.
Excitable (=): Although viewed by some as a negative trait Carlisle excitement for new discoveries got him through schooling. On the other hand, it's also gotten him into a fair bit of trouble in the past.
Reserved (=): Although a great listener he doesn't like to talk much about his own thoughts and would rather not be a voice in important matters unless he's of knowledgable value.
Ascetic (=): Very strict when it comes to keeping to his culture's morals and religion. If there is ever a conflict with this he will be exceedingly stubborn.
Fearful (-): Will shy away from large conflicts and fights, especially actual violence. He's pretty weak.
Expedient (-): Downside to his adaptable nature is that in stressful situations he becomes a much different person. He will go for the logical choice and seem to lose his care for emotional matters.
Self-Conscious (-): Worries often what others think about him and his tendency to cleanliness has also lead to some vanity.
Strengths:
Very Aware
Expert Biologist, top 5% of his graduating class
Handles stress well
Weaknesses:
Quick to frighten
Avoids confrontation
Fairly weak
Fears:
Large carnivorous animals
Loud, aggressive people
Being ostracized because of his sexual orientation
Heights
Other:
As gay as it gets and has spent so much of his life travelling and in school he's had barely any love life. Lots of unrequited crushes, though. Dádýr have large families but due to their current trend to send children abroad at young ages, they don't build strong familial bonds. Thus Carlisle has had many friends, but his constant travel has made most of those connections wear thin. He grows his own biolumin plants to eat and when he's really lonely he'll talk to them.



Name: Lau'ros Vanthe, simply goes by Laura
Age: 23 years by Alfar standards, the rough equivalent of 35 solar years
Gender: Female
Race: Alfar
Face Claim: Alana Bunte

Physical Description
Laura stands at almost exactly 5'5", which is a bit tall for members of her species. Her skin is blue, closer to navy or azure than straight blue. The patterns on it look like irregular spots and cover much of her body, dotting the "T" of her face and her back, belly, and chest, along with the outside of her arms and legs. They're in several mixed shades of lighter blues. Her eyes are blue-green, contrasting in an appealing manner with her skin, and her hair is short, uniformly cut, and dark in color.
Laura tends to slouch when she sits and drum her four fingers on nearby surfaces or fiddle with her mods when bored. She always sits with one or both legs folded under her while she's piloting or concentrating.
Modifications/Tattoos, if any:
Her right arm is partially modified in a purely decorative fashion, a pattern of black metal and turquoise lights covering the underside of her arm
Her right hand is modified in a similarly patterned fashion, but the metal is also meant to increase the durability of that hand
She has several scars dotting her arms and shoulders, from what seem to have been claws

Personality Description
Empathetic
(+) - Laura is capable of a surprising degree of empathy and understanding when it comes to other people and their motivations.
Sarcastic (=) - One might call her either witty or bitchy for this aspect of her behavior, but Laura tends to respond to questions/statements she considers to be stupid with sarcasm.
Hot-Headed (-) - It's quite easy to piss her off, and it's not always apparent that one has. Time usually cools her temper, and she's usually willing to apologize if she feels if she's in the wrong. If she doesn't feel like she was the antagonizer and one wants to patch things up, a small gift of treats or some other food item works as a peace offering.
Confident (+) - Laura is very self assured, a strong person who knows what she can do, what she cannot do, and what her limits are. She's usually the person who initiates conversations, as well. Usually by asking some strange question about life, the universe, or philosophy, as she hates small talk with a passion.
Confrontational (=) - If Laura has a problem with someone or something they're doing, they will know about it and they will know exactly why she has the problem.
Blunt (-) - When stating her opinions on a matter, Laura spares no one's personal feelings. She doesn't beat around the bush, doesn't gently broach a subject, doesn't bother with lies or giving an answer someone else wants to hear.
Tough (+) - From her resistance to pain to the strength of her will and her ability to bounce back after a distressing experience, Laura is a tough sonuvabitch and proud of it.
Cunning (=) - Laura chooses not to lie, but that doesn't mean she tells the whole truth and it certainly doesn't stop her from being clever. She's got an inventive mind and an eye for tactics.
Rebellious (-) - Laura actively opposes taking direction, especially from someone she doesn't like, and ordering her to do something is one of the surest ways to guarantee it is not done on your schedule.

Strengths:
Adept pilot
Trained as an engineer
Leadership ability
Tactical mindset
Weaknesses:
Short tempered
Incapable of diplomacy
Doesn't take orders well
Fears:
Dying alone, losing someone she cares about, insects but especially ones that fly
Other:
Bisexual
No family she is close to, several friends she keeps contact with



Name: Kaya, states no surname.
FC: Flaviana Matata
Age: 33 in Solar Years
Gender: Female, but feels 'feminine' and 'masculine' traits are unnecessary.
Race: Human
Physical Description:
6'1" and buff, Kaya is a force to be reckoned with. Her skin is tough, scarred and calloused, showing her years of combat and hard labor. Both of her eyes glow a deep, dark green showing her cybernetic implants. Her hair is kept short and has been that way for most of her life. Her face usually remains neutral, but due to the ways her eyes are set she seems to always be disinterested. This is completely untrue. She holds herself with the utmost confidence, but there's a noticeable calculation of her steps. She's constantly on edge, able to switch into a fighting stance if need be.
Modifications/Tattoos, if any:
Has two cybernetic eyes, the right side of her face having been badly burned and needing complete replacement. The other eye was cut beyond repair but the skin around it was able to heal. May have more cybernetic bits, like fingers that got blow/cut off, not sure yet. Has the Adinkra symbol for valor on bravery on the lower nape of her neck.
Personality description:
Alert (+): Very observant and aware of what's going on, will notice many details that most would miss. Will react before anyone else.
Clear-headed (+): Doesn't let emotions cloud her mind, and when not having a lapse she can focus extremely well.
Purposeful (+): Will get a mission and finish it with almost excessive efficiency.
Organized (=): Usually works in her favor but can get almost obsessive, ties into his negative trait.
Outspoken (=): Will speak her mind on some topics, even when it's a time where it's best to keep quiet. (If someone bad mouths one of the gang..)
Businesslike (=): When she's got a job, the job comes first. This can also mean she will risk her own well being (not sleeping or eating for example).
Haunted (-): Her path is one littered with bones and screams. She can get triggered, and will sometimes avoid sleep in fear of dreams.
Obsessive (-): Sort of related to the 'haunted' trait, she will become obsessive with getting tasks done to avoid thinking of disturbing thoughts.
Blunt (-): Rolls a bit with being outspoken, and she can be blunt. She's not horrible about it, but, well, don't let her know all your secrets. She may blurt out something you wouldn't want her to.
Strengths:
Extremely good at defensive and aggressive matters
Weapons and fist-fighting expert
(Mostly) Has great mental control
Weaknesses:
Once she's lost control, it's hard for her to regain it
Blunt (gosh Kaya you don't say those things!!)
Can be triggered unexpectedly
Fears:
Her Past
Losing those she loves
Other:
Okay I know I didn't make her sound like a mama bear BUT SHE IS ONE I SWEAR



The shrill alarm from her holoclock woke Laura up quite abruptly, and in her haste to get away from the source of the noise, she completely annihilated any order her bed covers may have retained and ended up on the floor. The impact was jarring enough to clear any of the remaining fog of sleep from her mind. Picking herself up with an irritated grunt, she turned off the clock (punching a holographic button was nowhere near as satisfying as punching an actual alarm clock) and threw the blankets back onto her bed. Why the fuck would she turn on that awful alarm--right. People were coming. New crew members were coming. She had to get up early. Be presentable and shit. Now, normally she would ignore such stupid directions, especially when they come from a pompous ass like her boss, but she liked to fly and he had the power to remove her license, so. Presentable she had to be.

Casting one glance around the lived-in messiness of her cabin, she determined that if Pioneer Tech wanted her fucking room cleaned, they could do it themselves. It was a nice room, all new and sleek metal, the space comfortably heated to a temperature she set. Her bed was pretty comfortable, occupied an entire corner, and could be folded up if more space was needed on the floor. All the shelves in the room were littered with tools, various bits of tech, technical projects, and datapads that contained all manner of reading material. The space wasn't outright dirty, but nor was it organized.

It was highly doubtful her boss would take kindly to her not cleaning up herself, however, so Laura turned and headed into the small bathroom that was also apart of her cabin. It was a basic bathroom, really; a shower head on the wall, a drain in the floor, a sink, a mirror, a toilet, and some shelves for grooming supplies. Laura didn't keep many, herself. She took perhaps a bit too long in the shower, simply because she wanted to, then combed her hair and dressed in the neat navy blue uniform captains employed by Pioneer Tech were supposed to wear. It mostly blended in with her naturally blue skin. She hated wearing it with a burning passion.

Now that she looked like a functional and professional member of society, Laura headed up the ladder to the hall that connected the bridge with the dining area and served as the entrances to all ten of the separate crew cabins, then made her way down to the ship's tiny cargo bay and out onto the dock. There was a waiting area right near her ship's designated dock, so she headed there and took a seat on one of the hard couches.

Now she had little to do but wait. Lovely.



Aeson legitimately could not remember the last time he'd actually slept.

He'd spent what had to be a full thirty six hours on various shuttles, trying to get from the colony he'd been living on for the last year and a half to the planet the ship he'd been assigned to barely a week before was on. And he had a serious problem with being unable to sleep on shuttles; he was usually too busy contemplating how much contact between himself and the person sitting next to him was acceptable and how much was awkward to relax enough for sleep. As it turned out, it was something he stressed over especially when completely exhausted.

So, Aeson could not remember the last time he'd actually slept and that was problematic. It wasn't that he was irritable when tired or anything like that; he simply looked even angrier than usual. That's sure to make a good impression, he thought sarcastically to himself as he stared at himself in the mirror. He'd wasted the credits on a decent hotel room, even though technically he only needed the room's bathroom. For perhaps forty five minutes, no less. Still, he needed the shower, and he needed the shave even more. He'd done both already along with other superficial concerns, and merely stood in front of the mirror, considering his looks.

He looked... sort of all right. Smelled fine. There were bags under his eyes and the scowl that seemed frozen on his face even when he was in a good mood was deepened by his exhaustion. Neither of those two things could be improved, really, so Aeson let out a deep sigh and contemplated the exact degree of his disappointment in himself as he put on the clothes he'd selected. He'd opted to dress professionally. The suit was very nice, black for the most part with neat silver pinstripes, and styled like ones worn more than two centuries before. He'd bought it at Oran's insistence ("If I'm being forced to wear fashionable shit, dear brother, you are too, and old-timey is what's in. Fuck if I know why. Look at all these fuckin' buttons! Didn't they have zippers in the twentieth century?") and it was easily the only professional looking set of clothes in his closet.

After finally getting the damn tie done up correctly, he collected his things (two bags and a large suitcase for the clothing he'd brought) and checked out of the hotel at the automated desk, then made his way down to the particular dock the ship he was to board was docked at. It occurred to him on the way that he was likely overdressed. The thought came with the familiar feeling of worry settling into his gut, worsened by his level of exhaustion. Dozens of questions and progressively more unrealistic scenarios featuring how his choice in attire could go wrong ran through his mind.

Spotting the alfar in the familiar Pioneer Tech uniform didn't ease his worry, because she was sitting alone, so it was reasonable to assume he was the first to arrive. 'Pretentious ass who arrived too early in a stupid suit' was not the first impression he wanted to leave on people he would be working with and likely operating on, so he made his way to a seat across the waiting room from the alfar and sat down. He could wait here. Yeah. Good plan. Gather his courage, perhaps.​
 
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Carlisle checked his clock for what must have been the thirteenth time in the past four hours. He was all ready to leave, having washed, eaten and dressed into what was really the nicest thing he owned - a traditional robe that slits down the sides from his lower thigh to the bottom. A sash that depicted the usual glowing vines of his home planet was tied around his waist, and although the robe seemed impractical at first, it was actually just a more detailed version of their common clothes. Carlisle usually stuck to the tunic and pants combo, but he'd been told before that not everyone thought puffy pants were as great as he did.

When he read the clock this thirteenth time, it was finally responsible for him to head to Pioneer Tech (which was surprisingly close to his cubicle apartment). Carlisle did a quick onceover of his braided hair, made sure his plants' moisture levels were optimal (and definitely did not say goodbye to them) and was on his way. The trip to the building could be easily reached through one of the many transportation systems the advanced planet had to offer (there were a total of seven, one even including teleportation-pads). However, coming from a planet that had little more than hovercrafts, Carlisle found a lot of comfort in walking to commute. Leaving the absurdly tall building filled completely with varying size cubicle apartments, all with "space-saving" capabilities, which usually meant everything was hidden or stored inside a wall. The sinks, the toilets, desks, etc. But, for a dádýr like himself, Carlisle was completely at home with his 45 sq. meter room.

By this point of the day the streets were already filled with people, and if Carlisle wasn't already use to having to squeeze between giants and sludge aliens alike, he'd have likely headed home and just committed to not leaving his bed. The skies were full of hovercrafts, transport tubes and incoming spaceships. The streets were filled with vendors' stalls and bikes whizzing past, expecting pedestrians to most aside rather than the other way around. From someone who formerly came from a planet with a population of less than a million, this sight was chaos. Thankfully, he'd adjusted to such chaos by now, and with ease would slide his way between slower walkers.

By the time he arrived he was trying desperately to keep his excitement in check. His hands rubbed over his arm spots as he tried to soothe himself right before he went to briefly introduce himself to their captain (or at least he figured the alfar was).

~O~

Kaya was irritated, tired, and just wanting to get this ridiculous job done as soon as possible. The trip from her last job hadn't been long but annoying. If any of her new crew were idiots who thought racism died in the 22nd century they were going to have a problem. This wasn't Kaya's first contract with Pioneer Tech, but it was the most ludicrous so far. She really didn't understand why they had just sent some drones to do the scanning instead. Must be the cheaper option, considering how high her prices ran. Then again, the description did say something about volcanic activity, so she dressed light and carried little.

Although some gave her some odd looks they weren't much different from the usual and most seemed to be in regards to the plasma rifle strapped to her back. Anyone with modern weapon laws would know that her gun was completely operational at the moment - without getting it activated through at Pioneer Tech she wouldn't be able to even turn the damned thing on. Thankfully, the hover-way wasn't behind that morning and she got to the building and through weapon-check whilst only being ten minutes behind. With the idiots employed at Pioneer Tech, Kaya was surprised it went so smoothly. Then again, having done this seven times before likely made the process a bit easier.

When she got to the ship's dock she noticed the model immediately. One she was familiar with but it was a shabby cruiser of a ship, at best. However the ship seemed to actually be polished, which made Kaya smile. Her grin grew even wider when she surveyed those she'd be flying with. To her, they looked more like a group of children then anything. Well, it was a scanning mission. She'd likely just have to make sure no one stepped on a snake or miraculously fall into lava. Babysitting duty, then. Not wasting any more time, she joined the rest of them by the ship.


 
(( My friend pointed out a plot hole to me, namely the lack of geologist and cartographer in the crew, so I tried to fix it? Here's hoping this works. c: ))

It was easy enough for Laura to pick out the three she was waiting for in the crowd. She'd studied the pictures in the files she'd been sent. Plus, there weren't so many people in the little waiting area that a human cyborg with dark skin, a well-dressed human, and an alien scientist with a fairly distinctive skin pattern would be unnoticeable. At least she hadn't had to wait long, and at least two of three had decided to come to her. She gave a pointed look to the human hanging back until he came over. This, she was not repeating.

"I do not know if you know this," she began, hoping to any spirit that was listening that they were all wearing networked translators or spoke her native tongue, "but my name is Lau'ros. You can just call me Laura, because I have had far too many difficulties trying to teach non-Alfar how to pronounce it correctly. I am to be your captain on this survey mission, and as long as you accomplish your respective tasks and remain civil with one another, we shall be fine. Again, I do not know what you have been told in regards to one another or our mission, so I shall give a brief description so we can all get underway as quickly as possible. The route we will be taking goes through new territory. It has been charted and surveyed several times before by previous ships, so our task is to probe the systems and planets along the route, the goal being to find prospective locations for mining operations and fueling stations. This is why the crew lacks a designated cartographer. Our geologist ducked out at the last minute, a replacement was unable to be found, and the company did not wish to cancel or delay this voyage, so we are left with a mercenary, a biologist, a doctor, and myself, a trained pilot and engineer." After finishing her speech, she looked around the group, head cocking to the side. "Does everyone understand this?"

Please, spirits, let everyone understand this. She couldn't wait to get back in the pilots' seat again.



Aeson sort of shamefully walked over to join the group at Laura's pointed look, standing awkwardly until she started speaking. He listened attentively, nodding when she finished then resumed his awkward standing. He, personally, had not received files on any of the other crew; that may have been because he was notified that his application for this position had been accepted barely a week previous and he'd received the date of departure only three days before. Perhaps he would be more comfortable with some information on the people he was standing next to. Perhaps he would not. Odds were leaning towards not, but still.

"I am Doctor Gallagher," he murmured after a moment, because he may as well get 'embarrassing himself in front of these people' out of the way as quickly as possible, his voice quiet and accented with something definitely from Earth. It was recognizable as "East Coast Irish", if one was very familiar with Earth accents. "Aeson Gallagher. Ship's medic." As if that wasn't obvious enough by his attachment of 'Doctor' to his last name. Stupid, stupid.
 
The young dádýr was finding himself already running through the possibilities of what they'd find on the planet. There would surely be some new flora and fauna, if at the very least variations of very common plants scattered by the Alterian comets that were found to have started life in many galaxies around the system they were heading to. There was a chance he would even be able to return to a planet and name one of their findings! Before Carlisle burst apart with excitement, he took a quiet breath and took his chance to introduce himself as well.

"I'm Carlisle Malrue, an expert biologist from planet Myrtornar. I, uh, know my species is still very rare, so I would like to just say I'm dádýr, if the name rings a bell. My physiology is very similar to humans, besides the bioluminescence, so you don't need to worry about me sprouting tentacles or anything," he finished with his accented but well-spoken English, at this point blushing a bit from embarrassment so his cheeks tinted slightly blue. "Oh! And I've done some studies in geography myself, although I'm not the most knowledgeable on it I refreshed myself in case it was needed. After all, a biologist needs to be able to decipher how the abiotic factors of an environment affects the biotic." After an awkward pause he fiddled with the tip of his braid with one hand before adding softly, "it's an honor to be on this mission with you all."

~O~

"I think our introductions indicate we all understand," Kaya adding after the 'dádýr' had finished. "I'll be making sure everyone is safe. You may call me Kaya." She was still smiling, mostly from amusement at the embarrassment both the medic and biologist were expressing. At the very least the mission sounded like it was going to be amusing, if not interesting and a pain in her ass. After a moment considering their pilot, she remembered to inform them of her eyes. "It's also important to let you all know my eyes are completely cybernetic. I see normally when I wish, but I have heightened distance and detail sight. If you need my assistance either seeing something incredibly small or shooting a monster that's right behind you without hitting you, then yell my name."
 
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(( Not gonna lie, imagining Carlisle blushing blue made me squeal a little. ))
(( ALSO MADE SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT DÁDÝR AND THE EVOLUTIONARY REASONS FOR THEIR DEPENDENCE ON BIOLUMIN PLEASE CORRECT ME IF THEY'RE COMPLETELY OFF BASE ))

"I did my doctoral dissertation on your species," Aeson announced after turning to the newly identified Carlisle, a burst of excitement temporarily trumping his fear. He was still ashamed of himself for not recognizing what the other man was sooner, though, even with the lack of horns. The lack was indicative of youth, wasn't it? He couldn't recall. Regardless, the doctor quickly elaborated, his accent curving strangely around the words, "Specifically the evolutionary reasons for your dependency on biolumin. My theory was that the flora developed a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with the fauna of your planet due to the lack of natural flying insect life and how it affected your immune systems."

...Way to sound like a fucking nerd, Aeson.

"I-I mean, it's an honor to meet you," he murmured in an attempt at damage control. He meant the words, though. Months of study of the species, and he still hadn't met one in person. Til now, at least. A soft flush of pink graced his features when he actually looked up toward Carlisle's face, contrasting sharply with the scowl he still bore. Carlisle was quite attractive, by human definitions, and the alien aspects of his appearance only made him more so to Aeson.



Laura made a quiet noise under her breath, both exasperated and amused. Of course she'd gotten assigned a couple of...what was that human term her little brother used all the time while be was playing his extranet games? Nerds. She'd been assigned a couple of nerds.

"Good. You'll be useful scouting," she told the other human, the darker one, without a significant reaction to the cybernetics. She had ones of her own, after all, and hers did little beyond look attractive. She wasted a moment wondering if the darker tone of the human's skin was for camouflage, like her own skin, but dismissed the question. She could ask one of their resident geniuses later, if she still cared enough to bother after they took off. "Could we move the science talk into the ship, thank you," Laura interjected into what she figured was a break in the conversations, making pushing motions at the pair. "I would really want to get off this planet before Pioneer tech decides to ground me again."​
 
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Without wasting any time Kaya start boarding the ship, adding after the alfar, "or before they decide my weapons need to be confiscated again. Why I'm still not in their employee records..." she trailed off, the exasperation obvious in her voice. Once into the ship (which was thankfully open so she wouldn't have to wait to set up) Kaya laid her gear down on one of the deck tables, meaning to clean them all before they arrived. The trip was likely to take a couple hours, if not an hour and a half. She was sure their other two crew members were going to talk the whole time, and hoped they would move elsewhere. Laura seemed like someone who would want to pilot in peace, anyways.

With her guns now splayed out before her she set to the methodical work of taking the grease and cloth over the inner mechanisms and calibrating the plasma settings. She had a small array, considering how most mercs traveled with multitudes of large guns that could be easy folded into box-like shapes. Kaya had no such guns, knowing that the convenience replaced the reliability and stuck with mostly plasma and old-fashioned weaponry. One plasma rifle, two plasma handguns, an old but well-cared for revolver (still used 22nd century bullets as well) and a arkin shotgun (a relatively popular alien weapon that fired damaging, sometimes explosive shards rather than bullets, but was designed similar to a human double-barrel shotgun).

~O~​

Although he didn't want to delay their group Carlisle was surprised (as well as excited, of course) that one of their crew knew so much about his own species. He'd very much expected no one to know or care, as most did, but the fact that Aeson did his dissertation on dádýr was incredible! That, and Carlisle would be lying to himself if he said he didn't find Aeson handsome. Thankfully he had good control of himself, or else he was likely to openly admire the man's features. Oh, and that blush. "I would be happy to explain anything you'd like to know about my planet or species, doctor. After all there's no better way to gather research than with a live specimen," Carlisle offered, only to smile sheepishly and blush more so than before, turning to look towards the ship. 'That sounded more like he'd be dissecting you than anything, vikit*' he chastised himself.

"We probably should uh..head into the ship," Carlisle suggested after a moment, now fiddling with his braid again subconsciously. Feeling silly standing there as if waiting for some agreement he moved on and walked into the ship, his ears now pulled back slightly to betray his feelings. At least his tail wasn't lashing like a cat's.​

((Vikit is similar to the English word "idiot")).
 
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Laura snorted softly at the mercenary's addition to her complaint, though it was mostly out of amusement. Seemed that she wasn't the only one with troubles regarding her employment with Pioneer Tech. She followed Kaya up the ramp into the ship's fairly full cargo area, it stuffed with various equipment and scanners for poking at the planets they were to land on. At least, that was the gist of it. The full explanation involved a lot of science shit she could neither understand nor repeat. "You ever had occasion to use those?" she asked after finding herself distracted in her walk to the bridge by the weapons Kaya had set to work on. She was still an engineer, excited to fly again or no. Humans had some real interesting tech, she would give them that much. The gun with the big cylindrical bit that had all the hallmarks of a projectile weapon caught her eye, especially, but touching a mercenary's weapons without permission just got one shot.



Was...was that an offer?

For more conversation, at least, Aeson wasn't nearly optimistic enough to dare think it was an attempt at flirtation. He planned on tentatively accepting, if it was. It was difficult to pass up an attempt to learn more about the race that had fascinated him since medical school. "I'd like that," he blurted after grabbing his luggage and catching up to the [BCOLOR=#000000]dádýr. "Learning more about your people, I mean," he added hurriedly, an effort to explain and specify what he meant.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#000000]As they walked into the ship, he opened his mouth to tack on at least eight questions he had about [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=#000000]dádýr biology that hadn't been explained in what few medical and biological books he could find that included the race, but closed it again with the click of teeth impacting one another. Inquiry may have been invited, but no scale had been given. Did...did he ask everything he wanted to know? That would take hours. Hours and hours. It was safer to start small. But what the fuck was a small question? "Is your bioluminescence truly under your control?" he asked as they walked through the cargo bay, voice quiet but easy enough to hear in the silence of the ship. There. That was...smallish. "The texts I read gave no definitive answer."[/BCOLOR]​
 
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Kaya chuckled at the question, currently unloading the ammo from the revolver and taking the gun apart to clean it out. "I've been shooting men and monsters for more than ten years. I've used these guns and more many, many times. Let's just say this is probably the safest mission I've ever been on, and we have no idea what kind of creatures we may run across." She stopped there, not indicating any sign she was going to elaborate on what other kind of missions she'd been on before. She was currently focusing on cleaning out the barrel of the gun currently, and when she noticed Laura's interest Kaya asked with a smirk, "ever shot a gun before? I could show you how, if you haven't."

~O~

The sight of many devices, some familiar and others Carlisle had only had to privilege of hearing about but never been able to use distracted him for a moment. He stood slightly aside from the main door they'd all walked through and had to remind himself for a moment not to go about touching and fiddling with everything. He did however turn back towards Aeson when he registered the question. "It's likely because the researchers were confused by many stories and depictions that we have in our culture. You see, our biolumin use to activate and brighten with a heart rate increase, which of course was an evolutionary risk that we adapted to by becoming masters of stress, if you will. Then over time we developed more and more mental control over it, so now it's as simple as function as moving my own arm. However, many dádýr including myself still do exhibit the great stress control, although it doesn't kick in very often. It's very much like a fight-or-flight instinct," Carlisle explained happily, his smile soft and a bit shy but glad that he was around someone who cared to learn about what he had to say. Considering he was very use to people asking very insensitive questions, it was a relief to have someone interested and willing to learn, even if it was just about his species rather than himself.

"Oh, and sometimes during moments of little mental control the bioluminescent spots will act as they use to, but those situations are rare as well." Although Carlisle had felt it was pertinent to add that last bit he was hoping details would not be asked.
 
"You must not know much about my home planet," Laura remarked, but the words were light and came with a smile instead of a sneer. Perhaps a surprising reaction, given the tensions between the human and alfar races, but Laura hadn't ever cared much for politics. 'Unity' did not always mean agreement. "Most everything on it tries to eat everything else, so all alfar know how to use guns. It's basic education." She glanced back over her shoulder as she spoke, checking on the two lovely little nerds she would be flying around. Sounded like they were both on the ship, but standing in the cargo bay was not the most ideal or comfortable place to be while the ship was taking off. Her booted foot tapped impatiently on the metal floor, sparks of green and pale blue and turquoise light exploding across the black surface of her cybernetic hand. It being a decorative piece and all, it came with limited holographic capabilities that drew from her emotional state and her heartbeat. "I've simply just never actually seen a projectile weapon in person. Was under the impression they were made obsolete by shielding technology ages ago, actually."



Aeson stood quiet and still and listened to Carlisle's explanation, eyes intently focused on the [BCOLOR=#000000]dádýr's face. That was...incredible, really. He'd almost hesitate a guess that the spots being activated by stress was originally to scare off predators, but he was nowhere near suse enough in that guess to actually voice it. There was something else he had to wonder, anyways, related to Carlisle's last statement.[/BCOLOR]

"You mean like moments of extreme arousal?" he asked, far too bluntly. It took a few seconds for his brain to pull itself out of a purely academic mode and realize what the fuck he'd just asked. Aeson's fear reaction was immediate, though one might miss some of its signs. His eyes widened, eyebrows furrowed down into a sharp v, and a dark red color spread across his cheeks, but the rest of his expression remained unchanged. "I apologize, that was...out of line. Best we find somewhere to sit and strap in," he added, speaking far too quickly, then followed up his words by doing what one might unkindly call fleeing out of the cargo bay and toward the common area.​
 
"I can't say I know much about alfar, except the one woman who made both my cybernetic eyes. She's practically half cybernetic herself," Kaya remarked, recalling the woman who was more a friend than the person she goes to if she needs a fix-up. "Just figured every alfar I'd met was good with a gun." The merc, during the whole conversation, had not taken her eyes off her guns, but gave the brightly colored sparks a side glance. She'd seen decorative cybernetics before and found their capabilities interesting, but had never been much for flare or decorative touches. Considering she could have gone for some more skin on the burnt side of her face rather than metal plates, it was obvious she didn't care much for how others viewed her physical appearance. "Most monsters don't have shielding tech, and that's what I'm more use to these days. That, and the plasma guns have a tendency to jam or overheat easily. This old revolver? Been using it for four years, never once had a slip-up. Would rather have a reliable fallback then a slew of potential screw-ups."

~O~

Carlisle...was stunned. Not to say he was shocked that Aeson had said that, but well, the way he'd said it, and reacted...

Needless to say the dádýr was blushing deeply as well, the blue tint more obvious through his darker tawny skin. His ears were flattened out and drawn back, almost as if they were trying to disappear into his head. He tried not to think about how Aeson had gone directly to extreme arousal, even though there were other examples like in extreme excitement. But, Carlisle supposed it did seem like the most obvious answer and he was really just overthinking the situation. Probably would be best to just join the doctor in the common area and let him know he wasn't offended.

With a deep breath in Carlisle gathered himself and hoped his face was at least less flushed and his ears weren't so drawn back. The common area wasn't much to look at, and so he simply settled to a spot across from Aeson. After a moment's hesitation he said, "it wasn't out of line, doctor. I understand we are speaking professionally. It's not like we were talking about me specifically or something like that, just facts." 'He wasn't thinking about me, right? Oh, gyója*' Carlisle asked himself, although he tried to smother the thought as quickly as possible. This was all professional and scientific talk. To direct his attention elsewhere he took his satchel and pulled out his afternoon snack - a bit of baked ljós leaves - and a small journal.

((Gyója translates roughly to 'goddess' and ljós is 'light', although it is used vaguely to represent many different plants from the dádýr home planet)).​
 
"That is a commendable attitude," Laura responded, crossing her arms over her chest and hiding her cybernetic hand, and the switch from pops of turquoise irritation to lines of approving red and gold, behind the arm that was still flesh. Alfar were hardly practical when it came to cybernetics; humans were hardly practical when it came to weaponry. It was pleasing to see a human that went against that stereotype.

She turned when she heard the doctor and the scientist leave the cargo bay, a bright grin crossing her face. Clear to take off. "Best strap yourselves in and hold on until we're out in the black," she yelled to the other three as she walked to the bridge, not even bothering to put up a facade of professionalism or hide the spring in her step as she did. Her advice was genuine; this planet had a notably thick atmosphere, one that tended to give trouble to smaller craft trying to pass through it.

Settling herself into the pilots's seat as soon as she reached the bridge, Laura grinned to herself as she ran her hands over the holographic controls. The 'steering wheel' itself was a bright blue, manipulatable sphere, centered directly in the middle of her controls, and it essentially worked the same as a 'control wheel' or whatever in those old human aircraft. Newer ships had more sophisticated designs, but she liked this one just fine. It took a few minutes for her to power up the engines and run through the pre-flight checks, hopefully enough time for her crew to listen to her direction.



Carlisle joined him just after Aeson sat down, and while he listened to the acceptance of his mistake, he didn't acknowledge it. Fuck, how could he acknowledge it? 'No, it was definitely out of line, I asked you if you glowed during sex'? Like that would go over well. Like he would even be able to say the word 'sex' out loud to this man. Instead, Aeson nodded once, a bit awkwardly, then set about activating the straps on the chair he was in, as that kind of warning from their pilot was not something he was going to ignore. Then he just kind of buried his face in his hands and tried to salvage his thoughts from the gutter they had dove into.

Perhaps takeoff would be rough. Perhaps he would suffer some sort of freak head injury and not have to deal with this embarrassment. That would very nearly be preferable to dealing with it. Somehow.​
 
The mercenary didn't do more than flash her a grin and a raised eyebrow, indicating her appreciation and slight surprise at the comment. Other than that though she did nothing, focusing intently on her guns and pausing only to strap herself in at the seat she was in. Kaya had little care of the ride was rougher in the cargo bay. She did make sure there were no loose pieces that would get set across the ship, however. In the meantime where she couldn't do much work on her guns considering the take off was going to be a bit rough Kaya wondered over what she remembered of the area they'd be scouting. They knew more about what the planets could be like. Seemed like if there were any detailed records of the planets' surfaces than they didn't have access to them. She didn't want to trust it, but her in her gut, she felt like this wasn't going to be easy. Kaya ended up resolving that she would take extra care to watch the other crew members, just in case.

~O~

Carlisle strapped in as well once he heard the warning, his ears having arched towards the pilot's voice. Then, with a simple charcoal pencil in hand, he set to writing in his journal. Although it was primarily used for research notes and data he collected out on field missions, he usually took brief notes beforehand, just to cover what the most likely procedure was and any predictions he had. In between quiet munches he'd scribble a sentence or two, his concentration surprisingly strong. Despite his excitable nature, Carlisle was able to focus quite well if he didn't have anything rather interesting to distract himself. He did notice Aeson's slightly worrying behavior, but figured for now it was best to leave the other man alone. If he seemed in better spirits later, Carlisle figured he could try lightening the mood by offering to show him how his bio-luminescent spots functioned. But that was later, so now he just tried to think.

Sadly, there was very little to think about in regards to the mission. They were very much in the dark about what they could expect when they started surveying the planets. Sure, he'd signed a waiver so if he 'perished' on the mission Pioneer Tech would not be at fault, but that was just protocol. Nothing was meant by it. Of course, that didn't alleviate any of his worry. Carlisle tried to rationalize it was his very strong natural and personal fear of the unknown. Of things going bump in the night. That line of thought brought up an offhand memory of when one of his fellow students - an interesting person with fish-like features mixed with humanoid ones who'd grown up with a Scottish mother. Apparently the phrase, 'things that go bump in the night' was from an old Scottish poem including other frightening things like ghouls and long-legged beasts.

Carlisle set back to his journal, trying to keep his mind from coming up with horrifying monsters that could roam the planets they were about to explore.​
 
Ship's drive core? Functional and fully powered.
Thrusters? Functional and fueled.
Life support systems? Functional and fault-checked twice.
Airlocks? All sealed and locked.
Cargo? Completely loaded, correctly strapped down, and triple checked by the excessively anal rep from the company.
Crew? All strapped in, confirmed by a quick look through the ship's camera array.
Clearance to depart? Given.

Laura grinned to herself as the checks she was running kept coming back green, and bounced a little after Dock Control responded positively to her request to leave atmo. Course approval was granted, then her controls were being unlocked and the ship was initiating its running cycle and Laura was making a sharp noise of joy as she guided the ship out of its docking clamps and up into the sky. The air resistance increased right along with altitude, enough that she had to put more power to the thrusters than normally recommended while leaving atmo. Between those opposing forces and the ship's own gravity systems combating with the planet's gravity, it was a rough ride. She hadn't been kidding when she told them to strap in. The feeling of the ship shuddering under her feet and knowing it was in her hands was all Laura could focus on; it felt so good to be in the pilot's seat again.

It only took about a minute to escape the atmosphere, and there was another thirty seconds of dodging space junk before they were out and officially in open space, the shaking settling into a smooth and hardly noticeable vibration.

"We are officially in the black," Laura announced over the comm, pulling up the microphone window on her console with her right hand without so much as a glance away from the readout before her. The grin on her face was audible in her voice. "Feel free to walk around or settle yourself in. Pioneer Tech may decide to keep this crew together after this jaunt, keep that in mind and try not to murder one another, if possible; I know how humans can be."



After Laura's announcement and the realization he was not, in fact, killed by some freak trauma during take off, Aeson was forced to give thought to what to do about his previous actions. He considered getting up and going elsewhere, but...That would look odd, wouldn't it? It would. The embarrassing occurrence had happened several minutes before and him still fleeing from the sight of Carlisle would be strange. That said, he still felt the strong impulse to run. He'd...he'd asked a very attractive non-human what he looked like when he was aroused, and that was an absolutely horrible thing to ask. Still, glaring furiously at the table and continuing to ignore Carlisle's kind waving off of his behavior was an overreaction. But knowing it was an overreaction didn't help him stop overreacting.

Fuck, he hated his own emotions, sometimes.

"I'm sorry," he said softly after a short while, shifting awkwardly on his seat. The trip was two hours. He was not going to be able to sit in silence for the entirety of it, no matter how much he may want to. "Do...do you have any theories regarding the life we might find on the planet?" he added, because that was a safe subject. It should be a safe subject. He still worried that it wasn't.​
 
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With the all clear that they were now settled safely in space, she had a thought in her mind to tell their pilot just how she thought about that last comment. Kaya left the guns where they were and walked up to the doorway that led to the cockpit and knocked. "Can I come in, or do you trust humans so little?" she asked, although made sure to smile and make her humor obvious in her voice so as not to confuse Laura. Kaya had intentions to speak to her first about a game plan once they reached the planet, and then run it by their other two crew members. Since they were unsure of what to expect, she would rather have a distinct plan than have them all frightened and without direction.

~O~

As soon as they had the all clear Carlisle unbuckled his seat, hating how the tight straps restricted him. That, and being squished so closely to a chair really bugged his tail. Now free of such restraint he relaxed and took another nibble of baked ljós leaves before he perked up, his ears and eyes now focused on Aeson as he spoke. "I forgive you," was his first response, a gentle smile and amusement in his eyes, hoping that over time Aeson might not get embarrassed so easily. With the life forms..."I don't have any solid evidence to know anything. All we really have is one image of the planet, which leads me to think it's a mostly tropical environment, so the plants seem very familiar but that isn't much to work with. They could be predatory plant-life. There could be smart-hipped reptiles, or uh, what humans refer to as dinosaurs. There could be lots of insects, or perhaps lots of deer-like species...who's to say? I don't think we'll really know until we get on it."

Then, after a short pause, he added "...I may be being paranoid, though. It's very possible the planet is very peaceful. I'm sure you're aware that dádýr have a strong natural fear of the unknown. More than many sentient species."

 
Alright. Alright, she was going to come to like this human.

Laura gave a surprisingly human-like snort of amusement at Kaya's question, but didn't turn around. Too busy configuring the settings for the autopilot and ensuring the damn program wouldn't send them flying into the side of a moon or into an asteroid field or something equally nasty. She was going to check and triple check the thing before allowing it control of the vessel; dying in space because of an overlooked detail in their route was not the way she wanted to go out. "Depends. Are you going to try to fight me?" she asked Kaya after a moment, the same amusement in her tone. Then her movements paused as she was suddenly struck by uncertainty on her phrasing, so she turned a little to look in Kaya's direction. "That is a human thing? Saying 'fight me' or whatever? I am fairly sure that is a human thing."



Aeson shifted a little on his seat as Carlisle spoke, uncertain of how to respond to forgiveness given so quickly after he'd apologized. There was no hesitation, or thinking about it. Carlisle had just forgiven his fuck-up without further ado and that was weird for the doctor to react to. It was a fuck-up. He wasn't supposed to get off so easily. So, instead of responding directly to the issue, he just moved past it. The potential for dangerous local fauna was something else to factor into his assessment of how many injuries he could be expected to deal with. He'd be lying if he said the thought of seeing a dinosaur, or an approximation of one from another planet, wasn't thrilling, however. "I was told the medical bay was stocked, so I should be able to handle any injuries that happen on the planet," he informed the other man, meeting his eyes. "Burns or scrapes or-" -he paused with a slight wince, brows furrowing into a deep V of worry- "-bites."

It only took a second for the idea that he should check the medical bay's supply levels to occur to him. His breath caught in his throat before he said the second thing, but he still managed to spit it out. "Actually, I should familiarize myself with the medical bay. Maybe you could come with me?" he asked, an awkward explanation immediately following up the question. "T-the medical bay is the most obvious place for your equipment to go, I mean. It's...temperature controlled."​
 
Taking the question as permission to enter the cockpit, the mercenary strode in till she was standing a little ways to the side of the pilot's chair. "It is, but it is either used as a challenge or a joke. I will assume you are intending a joke," Kaya answered, her teasing smile lighting up her face. It was surprising how quickly she had warmed up the to alfar, but Kaya knew not to question it. At this point in her life, the more she questioned what naturally happened the more she had to question the unnatural and the subconscious. After all her years holding gun sights to her eyes, Kaya had too much to wonder about. It was just dangerous to overthink anything besides strategic plans. Thinking of which -

"I am sure you already have a similar plan in mind, but if I may speak my mind...I was thinking that we should do as many scans as we can of the planet before we land. Then we take what samples and other such science things the other two think we need to do before moving on. They didn't give any specifics except the usual 'how similar is it to a Class M planet' check, yes?" While she waited for a response Kaya looked around the cockpit, trying to familiarize herself with it once again. She didn't know what more than half the controls did, but all she wanted to understand was the layout and the location of emergency supplies. For a moment her solid cybernetic eye lit up a bright green, saving an image of an emergency drawer stashed in a corner. The data was saved to the part of her brain that had to be replaced along with that small part of her face and skull, which was all now electronic.

~O~

"If it comes to it I'm very capable of protecting myself, so let's hope bites won't be a worry," Carlisle noted softly, as if unsure of how well he could really protect himself. One of his hands searched for a familiar rod in his satchel, feeling a bit of relief when it was confirmed that he did, in fact, have his adjustable staff. The dádýr was a bit out of practice, but he wasn't worried about making a false move, just the thought of having to defend himself in general. But he would rather be prepared than not. At Aeson's fumbled explanation Carlisle showed another one of his shy but amused smiles. "Good idea, doctor. I should probably make sure everything is calibrated before we arrive. That, and I'm also curious what sort of gadgets you have," he admitted, still smiling as he blushed a little. 'Do I always flush this much?' he asked himself, starting to become exasperated with his biology. The first stage of a crush, and Carlisle crushed hard. 'I haven't even known him for a day yet! Trémódir* must be playing with my heart...'

((Name of a dádýr deity, translates to "Tree Mother" although the deity is completely androgynous)).​
 
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"Fighting you would be a mistake, and I find it reassuring to know that someone else familiar with Pioneer Tech's vague directions is here," Laura remarked, activating the autopilot after checking a potentially problematic section of the programmed route for the fifth time. It would be fine. She wouldn't be that far away if anything happened, so it would be fine. The alfar let out a breath before turning her seat around, doing an insulting impression of her boss when she added,"Orders are to 'investigate the planet, check for natural life, and rate potential for future mining ventures'." Despite the casual fashion in which she mocked her boss, waves of nervous green danced across the metal of her arm; she was really fucking afraid of dying in space. Even as ironic as that was with her job. "But running detailed scans beyond the required mineral ones is a wise precaution, yes. I can start them once we enter the appropriate system."

The green light from Kaya's eye captured Laura's attention in mere seconds, prompting her to sit up as if to get a closer look. "What are the specs for that big hunk of metal attached to your face?" she asked, black brows raising. It looked like a hell of a modification. Had the rough look of something made to fit an injury, but maybe humans were into scars. How would she know?



Of course Aeson noticed Carlisle's blush. It was, frankly, adorable, and therefore difficult to miss. He didn't attribute it to his own actions, however. He was nowhere near lucky enough for that to be a reasonable assumption, even when exhausted. "I'll, ah, get my things, then," he said softly, forcibly tearing his eyes away from Carlisle's face so he could collect his bags (the suitcase could stay in the cargo bay for the time being) and stand up. It took a second for the realization that he hadn't taken his eyes off of Carlisle the entire time the dádýr spoke to kick in. That was staring. Wasn't it? It was staring, he was fairly sure it was staring.

Fuck.

At least he knew his way to the medical bay. It wasn't hard to find it, anyways, as it was the only room with observation windows. It was quite well equipped, too, with three beds, a sizable desk, and plenty of counter space on top of a section of metal cabinetry. Much of the counter was occupied by various devices for biology and monitoring /measuring life that were too sensitive to be put in the cargo bay. All of it was clean and metal and gorgeous, and Aeson couldn't help but relax a little upon seeing it. Doubtless the cabinets were filled with medical supplies. He'd have to get to counting and cataloging...It likely wouldn't be as well stocked as his office back on Elysium, but it was far better than he'd expected.​
 
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The taller woman turned slightly so she was facing the pilot yet again, and smiled widely at a stray thought. "Maybe just to show them the consequences of such poor orders by not telling them if the natural life we find is dangerous?" Kaya suggested, mostly joking, but also very much up for the idea. Then again, work was getting more difficult to find with galactic restrictions on mercenaries tightening. Well, if Pioneer Tech decided they didn't want to hire her anymore Kaya would deal with it when the time came.

The mention of the alterations to her face diminished the smile, but despite this Kaya kept what little of it on as she could. "It is a long story. Perhaps I will explain some other time? But, the specs...I could not afford a full reconstruction, so what had to be replaced was filled in with metal. Both eyes, part of my face...some of the brain. It is not so much different from before, just more image memory." Kaya knew her face did not show as horrible as she was feeling. It was a question that was asked often enough, but usually she was very curt. Just the memory of the event made her heart race, let alone the memory of the surgery. For a brief moment she couldn't fight away the sensation of hot coiling flames around her, but years of mental conditioning helped end any recollection swiftly. When Kaya realized she had been breathing a bit more rapidly than was normal, she tried to smile brightly and turn attention away from herself. "So, how long have you been a pilot, Lau'ros?" The pronunciation was not perfect with her accent, but she hoped the effort would be appreciated rather than dreaded.

~O~

Just as Aeson got his things Carlisle did the same, although all he had was his satchel and one personal bag (which was still in the cargo bay, safe and sound). Thus all he needed to do was pack up his journal and his snack, then get up to follow the doctor to the medical bay. At the sight of all the equipment and how nice it all looked, well, Carlisle had to do everything to keep himself from swooning. He'd only seen set-ups so nice, never had the privilege to use them. Thankfully all of the equipment he was familiar with, if he'd only used them briefly before. Most technology these days were very similar in how they functioned, so with enough fiddling anyone with some prior knowledge could work out a machine's function.

The first tool he set his hands one was what he was most familiar with, a life-form scanner that was used across multitudes of galaxies. It contained so much data that it's heft was just from how massive it's memory storage was. Not that it was much heavier than a couple pounds, but compared to how many of the other devices were as light as a feather it was heavier than most hand-held tech. That being said, it was an incredible invention that with some scans and a DNA sample it could detect what species of plant or animal it was looking at, if it had the data already stored. If not it could detect what it was most related to, what it's likely place in the ecosystem was, etc. Carlisle held the machine and looked at the boot-up screen fondly, as if he was seeing an old friend again.​
 
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