An Inn, In, An In.

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

The space pilot grumbled gently as he put one of his gloved hands to his face, staring at the Sullustan infront of him. Having not noticed La yet, whom had drawn a little closer. She could hear him clearly end the conversation with the alien on these stiff words: "Next time you set me up with cargo, I want to know who I am dealing. Not someone who can't meet me at my ship. Got it? Don't care if its less money, got it? Not a great way to do business when I can't tell whom I am working for."

The slight raise of La's hand in the distance seemed to catch the young mans attention, as he looked about ready to quickly walk the ramp up into the ships belly. Making his way over as he avoided the detrius on the floor, as much as the workers and droids who fought for space. Thankfully it was clearing up as the boxes of product were being brought aboard his ship. "Looks like you decided to come!" His mood seeming a little more cheer than the angry visage he wore when dealing with the Sullustan. Whom had moved out of sight, shaking his head and ordering the workers around like a slave driver.

As he got closer, she could see he had calmed down a little more and wasn't as upset. Taking in her attire, he raised a brow. "Did I catch you at a bad time with the message?" She could see he hadn't changed clothes entirely, only his pants were black rather than brown. His jacket, shirt, boots, everything was the same-and he looked less kept than before, like he had been rushed.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

As to her mental discipline, La'kuus didn't want to judge or interfere with whatever problems it seemed the two of the workmen were dealing with. Her own involved not stomping the occasional bumping droid with her new boots and blaming it on faulty malfunctioning. Last time she tried that, they warranty droid repair said none of it's systems involves them getting a boot and stomping it seven times on the head. Her head poked up to meet Olan's face as he spoke to her in a more direct tone. She gave a tiny grimace to the time related question. She had to choose her most comfortable outside outfit to get here without a million complaints. "I'm not a morning person." She said plainly as an excuse to her clothing behavior. Luckily, her face never seems to change from it's bored blank expression.

As soon as the words left her lips, two dull green eyes looked to the area in front of her presenting the ship, it's cargo, and crew. If anything she seemed more unimpressed than ever, and that's someone's first invitation to an out-of-planet flight we're talking about. "I didn't bring much with me, but if you'd like you can have your guards check me. If you don't have any guards I can check myself." Eyes flicking back to the person of attention, she studied his face with her poor sight to look for a sign of something, anything even to get the slightest hint of what this cargo trip really was.

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

A boisterous laugh escaped Olan like a trumpet sounding as he heard 'Guards'. And quickly stopped before he made himself into the rear end of a donkey. "Sorry about that. I refrain from having security, because I believe in freedom. And I got a one strike rule, few exceptions. Good enough for me. So, I don't check anyone. If you mean me harm, you will find some way to deal it. Can't help but stem it from happening if I search every nook and crevice, and then its just violating your personal space." Nodding his head gently. "You will find I am pretty lax on things generally if you decide to go with me. You still haven't seen the inside."

She could see he wasn't all that bothered anymore, just back in a more calm state. Eyes focused on her intently, no breaks, she would notice he doesn't blink much. Face a welcoming smile. Though she could easily see he was wary by how his face wasn't as jubilant as the night before, let alone the fact his eyes had bags under them and he moved a little less crisp than he did last night. From the above things, she may denote that the cargo wasn't all that dangerous-at least to him, or he was just very good at keeping signs of fear in.

Raising a leather bound finger he stopped himself from turning around. "One last thing, if you need to pick up things before leaving, there is not a great rush." Sweeping his arm over the slowly dissipating crowd of workers. Most of the boxes having been stowed in the ship now. The left cargo bay door closing down slowly, same with the right. The Sullustan had disappeared as well. "As you can see." Turning back now towards the ramp up into the belly of the ship and begins walking towards it. No exact words to denote she should follow, he obviously either assumed or let her make that decision on her own.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

Freedom? What is this guy, some type of rebellious? La'kuus pursed her lips as the man took his way up the ramp. After a small second of looking back at the outside area, she let out a sad shuddery sigh, then cleared up her throat and walked up the ramp. If anyone were there to see that, just perhaps they might have concerns.

As she walked, time seemed to slow down for her, as her mind wiggled around the thoughts of freedom and peace through the galaxy. With this planet serving more than enough to the war in means of the rich trades for what they may need, sudden peace would rip it to pieces and everyone would have to move from their point in life to change. Waves of emotions rode over her like a rough salty wave of water trying to rip her off her feet.

After taking a few steps into the ship, she took her first real look around. Would he even have this ship if freedom were a thing? Usually that answer would be no if you visited the right places. She stood in the corner of the room with a glint of worry in her eyes. Her mind was starting to think about all this stuff. Leaving the planet must be hard for other people too.

 

[Olan Teff]

As La'kuss came into the ship, she would see how well cared for it was. Like a well worn rocking chair which had dotingly been restored again and again. It had life of its own. The walls and panels which were once a stark white, are not a somewhat off grey. The steel-cerro floors were polished, but were scratched and chunks missing from years of use. But they were clean, not a speck of dust or dirt-strangely in a ship which just had quite a few people roaming through it from the outside. Several of the port workers made their way out once she was off the ramp and the sound of the engines thrummed through the ship. Like a large purring beast. A soft vibration filtered into her feet through the floor.

In her view was a command console to her left for the communications array, aswell ship support. A leather chair set into the floor, worn with time, showing it through its once tan hide-which had turned somewhat off white in spots. In the center of the room was a pilots chair for the laser turret above, right now recessed up into the ceiling as if holding a pilot. Further in was a relaxation spot-if you could call it. Was a table with two couchlike benches which surrounded the table, but left one side open to easily sit down. The doors to the quarters looked worn, but well kept. Only one looked more lived in, which had a single smiling picture of a explosive on it. It read 'Teff Tough, Explosives Consulting.' below the smiling bomb.

Olan stopped at the comm-support console and sat down on the leather chair as La took up a spot in the corner. Looking at her sidelong a few times as he checked the ships diagnostic readout and the local shipping grids for his departure line off planet. Letting her soak in the ship a little before he turned on the chair to face her. "What do you think? Its not exactly a home for most, but its mine." Almost like he sensed her fear, or blind luck, he began to talk. "When I first got on this ship, I had in a few years time-lost my 'Ma, my 'Pa, and my two brothers. This is all I got left of my family, and its taught me a few things. Home is where you want it to be. Its not about the stone or the steel its made from. But where you choose it to be. My mother said that a lot. My father insisted that a home is what you got on the ground. Where you can come back to everyday. I subscribe to the idea that he figured it out...once he passed on. Maybe he gets to see me everyday here. And it was scary leaving everything I knew, but it was worth it. This is my home." Olan appears to go off into another place at this point. Like a person talking about a dream which had become reality.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

The ship was nothing admirable compared to La'kuss' personal room which was filled with strange and amusing riches from years of the work in various shops selling the things to war, politicians, people who have too much money to begin with... It almost felt like something was rubbing salt against a slime's body, tickling it with a dangerous and deadly change. Her eyes wavered to the small board, probably the only thing she could really recognize without dwelling into her holonet lore's memory. Her eyes fell onto Olan, and he began to talk in that voice she loved to hear.

As always she kept mostly quiet and had a bored look, though the story did feel like it related to her in a bit of ways. She looked into his eyes for another sign as he spoke. Things got so different so quickly, and they didn't even seem to leave the planet's atmosphere yet. "We have different families. My mothers told me home is where love is, even if it's in a cell where torture is a thing of a daily schedule, just so long as you have your loved one near you." Clasping her hands together in a tight ball, she let her eyes travel down onto her sweater.

Later she'd have to explore the ship more.

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

Turning back to the console he locked the shipping coordinates fed to him by the control station on the ground and set the ship to run pre-flight diagnostics once again. Turning back to La he stood up and nodded. "Kinda like your mum's point of view on the matter." Still smiling. It seemed to never leave him these days...or hours. Time. Whatever the amount of time was.

She could see he had a look of worry that stuck into his eye as he watched her. Even though he smiled, his eyes belied a deeper thought than his face could give.

Tilting his head to the side as he watched her look slowly go down until she was looking at her own sweater. Folding his arms over his chest slowly he moved a bit closer and leaned over to look up at her eyes. "I know its none of my business, but...something happen to your mum'?" Leaning back up he motioned back out at the ramp to the port. "Is she still here or...is she gone?"

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

The girl gently pulled one of her braids onto her chest to play around with as Olan left for that brief moments. After her hands wondered it up and down a few times, she moved her head to look up and listen to the man in a proper manner. "No, it's she's on the planet. I just don't think some things she says is really... right. I wouldn't want to call my dying lover's torture chamber a home." She grimaced at the thought, then moved her braid back behind her to line up with the rest of the skinny white pieces of hair.

"I feel like she was on some type of drug when she said that. I don't know."

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

Olan looked at La'Kuus quietly until she finished. His face somewhat imperceptible. But she could see a lot going on in his eyes. Thoughts and emotions blurring around in his noggin' faster than most could read. "Well, we are all right and wrong in ways we all define. You gotta decide what you believe in-and it seems you have." Then he laughed gently. "Though I doubt drugs were involved with your decision, your mothers-just maybe. I don't know her." A playful tone going into his voice again. "But if shes anything like you, doesn't seem like the type to do drugs. Good hunch."

Unfolding his arms over his chest he looks about the ships hull and then back to her. "Is that why you want to leave?" Coming to rest against the same corner of space as La'kuus at this point.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

The question wasn't expected from the young woman. In fact, she should have moved out of her mother's house long ago if the case was she didn't like her so much, that she would be willing to leave. After shaking her head, she spoke up a little again. "No, I just wanted to see something as the life of a star-walker for once. Get some action maybe. Kill a few locals of their planet and run away from reinforcements." She looked up seriously, then made a weak attempt to laugh. "That was a joke."

Sliding hands back into pockets where they were warm, La'kuus looked at her surroundings slowly.

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

Put simply, Olan wasn't the top tier of thinkers. Sure, good in a pinch, and some other things-but he tended to always ask the wrong questions or point out the obvious. This was one of those moments. A chuckle rumbled in his chest at her joke, before she even explained it was. Though it did call to question if he actually thought the same thing, as there was a bit of a wily look to his face at that moment. "Good joke."

As she looked about, she would get a good idea that this ship has seen many places. On closer inspection of the ceiling she may see a small little bit of vine sticking a single of its fingerlike limbs out from behind a panel. The most worn section was the cockpit. She could see four command chairs in there made up of some sort of animal hide which had been used heavily, the console array with flickering lights from all sides-coming together like a cascade of stars as they twinkled in an out of life.

Just these stars were buttons. Shiny big buttons. A few control sticks and accelerator rods were set to the left of the pit which denoted it being the operators seat. Several nicknacks were hanging from the console array from above, some fangs and a shard of metal.

As she kept looking she would see the far less used crew quarters, the doors nearly brand new looking, and the floor the least worn. For the moment, the doors were shut.

Back towards the communications console Olan had been sitting at would be a set of two large mechanical doors. Split to go to opposing sections of the cargo bays. Between the doors though was a rack with several blasters, mismatched, but very well cared for. Even a E-11 was on the rack. Below it was several...what looked to be Vibroblades. Guess for repelling boarders.

As she looked around, Olan was fine with just being quiet and letting her look around in peace. Taking the same time to look around with her.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

The picture of the ship having age to it's story suddenly clicked into place in La'kuus' mind after her second good look around from her sitting position. While some of it looked new, cleaning bots could have changed so much of the history. She actually felt a little pleasant seeing as they didn't for most of the ship. Finally done with her look, she stood up and looked over Olan curiously. "Are you a good pilot?" She asked out of the blue. It was an honest question, one that could probably answer a few of her own.

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

The Spacer just stared at her for a moment. One of his hands going to rub at a spot behind the back of his neck. He seemed to have no clue he was doing so as he replied. "Well, I'm alive. That is an inkling that I have some skill. It truly depends on who you ask. I'm good at getting in and out of risky situations. Maybe not exactly in one piece, but, mostly intact." She may notice he is running the back of his neck where a scar is, which reaches from his atlus to jaggedly make its was down the side of his neck to disappear into the collar of his jacket.


Overall he seems a little noncommittal to answering the question with other than a 'Good enough'. Her curious look did reveal a few things. Only closer inspection like hers would see the multitude of scars that mostly dotted his chin and neck line. The jacket he wore, for all its good care, she could see where it had been repaired in spots. Burned fabric covered by swaths of blue cloth, mostly seamless, but couldn't hide it entirely. If she dared take a sniff around the man, he smelled distinctly of oil, smoke and what smelled of some kind of spice. Not spice like a pepper, but more like cinnamon. It was overall pleasant. But was easily overrided by the more prominent smell of oil and smoke.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

That was all she needed to ask him, she supposed. She quickly smiled and went back to her face, squeezing a "Hmm." In between the transactions. Now that her curiosity was sated, La'kuus gently wiggled her fingers before trailing them up to her wrist, then back down again, just like a child discovering how interesting nano-bots where, trying to find them in their skin.

"As long as I can trust by blind faith that some parts of me will arrive somewhere alive, I'm alright." She flicked her eyes up to the man quickly. "If the flight is long we can practice fighting."

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

"Well, certainly if you wish." Laughing gently. "Gotta get exercise some way. And it beats hundreds of pushups and sit-ups." Now leaning up from the wall he had been taking respite against he motioned to the nearly pristine doors of the crew quarters. "Might as well show you your choice of rooms, since it kinda sounds like your staying." Little bit of a smartass tone seeped into his voice, and bled out quick as he spoke.

"Your going to have a good amount of space to make it your own, if you decide to stay awhile." Walking over to the door release, he tapped the opening sigil. The door slid to the side showing a rather spacious interior, well cleaned to say the least. Maybe never even used, as it wasnt the bunk bed cabin, but a single bed! A clear plastic covered the moderately sized bed, with a control panel of its own to recess the bed away into the wall. A steel desk was in one corner, sticking out of the wall like a obelisk. A unused metal chair was also in there.

In the back was what looked like a personal bathroom shower and utilities for waste disposal. Other than that, it was somewhat barren of any discernable features. It nearly looked factory new, if not for a light coat of dust on certain parts.

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

The smartassery was either ignored or not noticed. The woman looked up as he went about, then ended up following lead to the bedroom. Once introduced to it, she looked in and pursed her lips together in a calm manner. "It's roomy enough. Thanks for showing it to me." After walking inside, she looked around at all the new little toys of the room. It wasn't anything like her old one, and it had just enough room for redecoration. She could make do.

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

"We here at Avalon Space Getaways Inc take great pride in serving our patrons. It is an honor to have you aboard." Sarcasm dropping out of every word as he grinned. Turning his attention from the woman checking out the room to the cockpit, he stuck his head in and flipped a switch for the cargo doors to test their seal and then relock. "Hey, have you had anything to eat today? I haven't yet, know any good places nearby?"

Leaning back out of the cockpit he returns to his position in front of the room he opened up for La to use. "Will be on me, as a sorry for the early wake up call." Then shrugs a little. "Or a parting gift if you decide to stay planetside."

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

It was starting to become a bad habit of La'kuus' to get off track very quickly. She watched her room curiously before turning around to follow to Olan's position.

She gave a tiny shrug in response to the question, barely listening to half of it to begin with. "All I know is places on my planet."

 

[Olan Teff]

@La'kuus Quelin

"I'm not used to the customs on this planet, is that considered an answer or a run around?" Playful as ever. Almost looking like a ferret with how he smiled at her now. "Okay, nearest place with food-you like...wait. Prefer. Don't know if you like any of them at this point."

 

[La'kuus Quelin]

[member="Olan Teff"]

This guy was so nice. First offering to pay for all the drinks, then offering a ride in a spaceship, then taking her out to eat. Wait a moment...

...

Her eyes slowly trailed to the man in question, making a tiny opened mouthed expression, though it didn't fit well with the rest of her bored looking face. "I like machine bars."