MK Blitzen

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Workin’ For A Living Part 1

New Melbourne - Late Afternoon

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

Skye’s Music

Mathias could not get off that ship fast enough and not just because they were tight on time but also so no other random act of violence would burst out before their hasty exit! There wasn’t time to dwell or mull over the event further, they had work to do and in a way, it was a good thing. It helped him move past it all the faster. Still the further from the ship they got the better he started to feel.

Cyd felt better the moment she breathed in the salty air, even if it wasn’t the good ‘beachy’ kind. It was humid enough however to slightly curl her aqua hair into waves that cascaded down her back. She’d likely have to tie it in a braid for the job but for now, she could enjoy the sun and scent of the water - as soon as she checked in. The middle Skye tapped a few keys on her datapad and pointed them towards a row of shops where the boys could get new dress shirts.

Isaac dropped his board and hopped on as soon as they hit the pavement. The board barely rumbled as he glided alongside his siblings. The extra height finally making him every so slightly taller than his sister, a fact that sat well with the teen. His backpack slung off of his left shoulder, swayed lazily. Packing light was a way of life for the trio and Isaac made a point to pack up in the event they'd be leaving by some other means. "Always be ready with a contingency." It happened often enough that he was used to it by now. "So," he broke the ice as the three made their way towards the shops, "this gig...am I bussing again?" He asked with a hint of distaste for the chore in his tone.

“Sorry, Lo, someday, you’ll appreciate the fact that you look a few years younger than you are,“ Cyd said, ruffling his hair before the boy skated just out of reach.

"N aap in die moi he?" Mathias snickered. "You always have fun and you know, plus the perks … all the lekker sweets at the end!" He pointed out to his younger brother.

“Mathias, you're waiting tables. Salad, entre’, dessert, “ she said pointedly, “and I’m on cocktails, so at least one of us will get tips. Shop over there has button-ups. You take Lolo, I’ve got a call to make.”

Isaac grumbled but he couldn't be too annoyed. He didn't want to admit it but they were right. Sure, the work was hard, but some of the best perks were the free food back in the kitchen, especially at those high-end events. Best of all, you didn't have to put on fake smiles or anything to get it like what Mat and Cyd would have to while they worked. In the end, he had to confess, it wasn't that bad a gig. Plus, where else would people like them get to eat so fancy? Now if only he could get them to stop messing his hair, he thought as he pawed at his head trying to smooth out all back into place.

"Come on, you, let's grab a halfway decent shirt and be done with it," Mathias said, taking his turn to muss Isaac's hair as lead the way into the store. Siblings could be such bastards.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Hey, Brother

The China Doll

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

Skye’s Music

Mathias stared at the sink as the steam front he water fogged the little mirror in the bathroom he had escaped to in order to clean up. He splashed his face working to erase the evidence of the violent events that took place in the cargo bay.

His hair ended up being next and soon after he realized his shirt had not been spared either. He switched out and cleaned up the remains with a grim frown. Then silently wiped up any stray speck of red that escaped around the sink and looked back in the mirror.

Fresh and clean.

Like it never even happened. Mathias convinced himself, his knuckled white as he gripped the edges of the sink. He wasn’t a guy who really drank, at all, but if there was a time to get shit face today was it! Gathering his things up he slid open the door, fully intending to go to his room and hide from the insanity bubbling from all the nooks and crannies on this cursed ship.

Cyd turned the music up louder. Make it louder, until everything melts away. Turn your brain off. She’d have downed a red devil if they didn’t have ruttin’ work to get to. She turned it up one more notch before sitting down on the edge of her bed. Out of the three of them, she was the only one dressed and ready, white button down, black skirt just long enough for her fingertips to graze the hem when they hung at her side. ‘Regulation.’ Too long for her liking. They still had to pick up a shirt for Isaac, two now that Mathias’ was ruined for sure. She bumped the music up one more notch. Not like anyone on the ship would be sleeping that time of day- well, as far as she knew, anyway. Truth be told it was four days. Did they really know anyone on the ship?

Isaac sat on the floor, his board clenched tightly between his thighs for stability as he applied firm steady pressure to the wrench until the nut on the first wheel gave way. That's how you don't strip it. he thought as he buried himself into the task at hand. He felt kinda shitty that he didn't have something comforting to say to his brother. What the hell do you say?? "Sorry you got some dude's brains on your shirt"?? It seemed like nothing he could think of felt like it would be enough, not to mention how he felt about having a front row seat to that horror. So, he chose to say nothing for now. Not like anyone expected comfort or sagely advice from the 'baby' anyway.

The door to their room slid open and a scrubbed Mathias walked in closing the door behind him and jammed his gunky shirt into their laundry bag. Which was now getting cleaned sooner rather than later before letting himself fall on the bed with a heavy sigh. It seemed the four of them were all working hard to avoid talking about the issue at the moment. Isaac and his new trucks, Cyd and her music, Mathias staring blankly at the wall and the 600 pound gorilla sitting awkwardly in the middle.

Cyd watched Isaac for a bit, him working on his longboard diligently, before swinging her eyes to Mathias. Mathias. If that deck’s aim was off, if he missed, if the bullet had gone through and hit him, hit Isaac, stop thinking it, just don’t! Music wasn’t making it stop. But they had work to do. Ag![ “Let’s hear it, Yobo."

“What the fok were you even THINKING?!?!” Mathias exploded sitting up. “Have you genuinely lost your damn MIND?!”

"Hey!!" Isaac reflexively shouted in an attempt to defend his sister, but then realized he had nothing else to add in that moment.

Mathais glared down at Isaac. “Got something to say do you?”

The younger Skye let his empty challenge hang in the air uncomfortably before quietly going back to his work while making quite the stink face.

“No,” Cyd chuffed, standing up and waving a hand toward her brother. “On me - He didn’t do anything.”

"Never do." Isaac muttered under his breath, disgusted with himself that he did nothing in the moment of truth to come dashing to his brother's rescue. It wasn't anything like in the movies.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Thanks for running it, mods! I seriously had a blast, and have spent waaaay too many nights staying up waaaaay past my bedtime plotting and playing the what-if game with my fellow Shenanigators. Can't wait to see what the next episode brings!

Firefly - Second 'Verse

It Started With a Whisper

The China Doll

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

Skye’s Music

Cyd sat at the galley table, sharing a pair of earbuds with Mathias. This way they wouldn’t wake the ship, and could still keep an ear on their surroundings. Her data pad was situated at an angle, and the open tech gloves allowed her to type on a virtual keyboard on the table.

Mathias bopped his head lightly to the driving beat in his ear looking absently in the distance. He was practicing card tricks and throws. He had half a deck behind each hand and would alternate slowly making the card appear, drawn from the back of his hand, to the front for presentation and then tossed it to a slowly filling hat at the other end of the table. The point was to build strength, dexterity and to nitpick over his technique. Street magic was an extremely unforgiving practice. Also he was trying to improve his aim, he didn’t miss often but when he did it was punctuated with a creative curse in a random language.

Isaac hadn’t stopped talking about wheels - not since he saw that crate in the cargo bay. Well, not the wheels so much as the bearings. “He’s right,” Cyd said, finding the wheels he described. “They cost a fortune. Weird that they’d be on a case on a crate being couriered by a random Firefly class.”

“Uh - hu …” Mathias said absently, missing the hat. “ … Sìnüè de yīyuántǐ gǎnrǎn lǘ niào” He hissed and tried again.

“Just weird is all.” Cyd shrugged.

“Sure is …” Mathias mindlessly agreed, flicking the card to the hat, it hit the edge just right and just barely got in. “ … yes!”

Cyd chuckled at her brothers’ indifference. “He does need new bearings.” she offered.

“He does have a terrible sense of direction …” Mathias agreed, focusing on his next throw.

"Seriously, though, Jo!" Isaac popped off one of his earphones so he could hear his siblings better as he pressed the issue. "Maybe when she's done doing whatever she's doing with those crates, maybe she'll let me have those sweet bearings for my trucks? That would make my board gek fast!" The younger Skye daydreamed aloud about the possibilities. "I could be doing krank Backside Tailslides, Shuvits, Crooked Grinds! Think I can ask her for 'em if her business is done with on New Melbourne?" He wondered.

“Worst she can say is no,” Cyd offered, swiping the air in front of her screen to go back to something non wheel related. Isaac could be like a dog with a bone.

“Whatever Cyd says …” Mathias said reflexifly. The card bounced off the edge of the hat. “... Dà xiàng gāowán bàozhà!” He snapped

Isaac's excitement was palpable upon hearing Cyd's encouragement, which was only slightly deflated by Mathias's considerably less convincing agreement. Undeterred, he leaned over to peek at his sister's cortex screen. "How much longer before we land?"

“Forever.” Mathias answered, flicking the card squarely into the hat.

“You could read a book if you’re bored.” Cyd offered.

Isaac groaned and fell back sullen into his chair, pulling the earphones snugly back in place. The thought of sitting around reading a boring old digital book was not exactly his idea of a fun way to pass the time. He fiddled with the controls, trying to find in something, anything that would tune out his tiresome sibs as he slid deeper into his chair and sulked.

“Books are fun.” Mathias encouraged throwing another card into the hat.

Cyd couldn’t help but giggle. It took her a hot minute to realize she’d switched from earbuds to speakers. Music filled the kitchen when she connected the data pad to her small dedicated source box, circumventing the Cortex. The music sounded better loud, but people were just starting to wake up. They’d already not made friends with the skebenga’s Mathias chased off. Alienating people was bad for busking. With a couple of finger taps, the din disappeared, transmitting back to Cyd and Mathias. “All right sibs, I found something - dockside, , and it’s pretty close to the maritime museum. Artifacts from clipper ships back from Earth that was. Who wants to take a pic with New Mel’s largest working cannon?” She had an album full of photos from the verse, random attractions and the like.

Isaac had no idea what his sister was babbling about, but she looked to the boys expectantly about whatever she was saying. He gave a thumbs up. It seemed to be the right response as no one kicked him afterward.

Mathias jumped from the noise breaking his concentration. “Is this another pikkewyn thing?” He asked, wrinkling his nose. Mathias put down the cards to stretch his fingers out.

“We packed white shirts for a reason, Yobo,” she snickered.

“To use in the event we need to surrender?” Mathias answered not sure if it was the right answer?

Cyd laughed. “You’re not getting out of it that eas… “ She furrowed her brow as she swiped a few more keys. It looked like they weren’t the only ones on board circumventing the Cortex.

Isaac's sulk was so deep he was practically halfway to the floor. His face had, up until that point, been fixed with a sour expression. That changed when something seemed to grab his attention, making his eyes grow wide. "Fokkol..." he sighed in disbelief.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Shenanigans!

New Melbourne will be a blast! Looking forward to it!

See Ya Laters, Shennanigators.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

The Kids Are Alright Part 1

The China Doll

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

Mathias, Cyd, Isaac

The Skye’s spent their first night on the China Doll in their cabin. The trio didn’t close their eyes until long after the ‘witching hour’ had passed. Cyd spent the night scanning her Datapad, chatting it up with Mathias while Isaac tried to remember the combination to the lock he constantly messed with. They did - for the sake of other passengers - turn the music down so no one felt compelled to thump on any walls. Cyd silently congratulated them on their consideration. Somewhere in the late afternoon, she was the first of the siblings to grind the sleep from her eyes and sit up in bed.

The thing with busking for their money was there was a time and place for it. Mornings were never the time, no one wanted a cheerful face with a hat out during morning commutes. No matter how up beat, pretty or talented … so the Skyes clocks were often geared to waking in the afternoon, at best, and late nights. Regardless, waking up no matter the time was the worst part of the day in Mathias’s opinion.

Given they were trapped in a tin can as they hurled through the vacuum of space, there really wasn’t much that needed to be done so his lazy ass was pretending Cyd wasn’t awake, looming over the boys, shaming them for still being asleep.

Isaac was sprawled across the floor not unlike a carelessly tossed ragdoll whose bedding followed close behind on the trip down. The boy managed to take up far more space than should be possible for someone of his size. The image was complete with a crooked head and gaping maw which emanated a sound akin to a garbage disposal that briefly got hung up on a corn cob before clearing itself and continuing.

Cyd yawned. “I know you’re up, Yobo,” she said in a hushed tone as she absently kicked at the boy on the floor gingerly with a bare foot.

“Who can sleep with the damn garbage disposal running …” Mathias said grouchy as he hoarding his blanket closer around him defiantly. “ … now you know why some mother lions eat their young … or in this case smother them in their sleep. No one has to know ...” He said, giving the youngest member a bleary glare.

The teen on the floor sleepily whined as he pawed blindly at his sister's leg, impotent slaps hitting her ankle before falling to the floor. It was hard to make out, but something about "blanket" and "five minutes" as he tugged at a corner of the covers the girl was standing on preventing him from rolling away from her foot taps into his side.

“Come on,” she coaxed. “We were told three squares a day, right? Well, I smelled bacon earlier, meaning we missed breakfast, and if we don’t get a move on, dinner will be off the table - literally- too. Hear that LoLo? Food….”

“What if it’s three triangle instead of square? I mean what does that even mean? Three square?” Mathias complained hiding under his pillow.

"Food pyramid" Isaac muttered from the floor with a look of self satisfaction. His retort sounded absolutely ingenious to him in his current state if he did say so himself. But the word "food" wormed its way through the reverie as he dragged himself to a sitting up position, squinting to let in as little offensive light assault his eyes as possible. He slapped at a random lump on the bed not knowing or really caring what he struck and absently said "C'mon….food…".

Cyd shook her head at her brothers’ antics - all for five more minutes. “Go shower up, clean up - and then? We have some exploring to do,” she offered.

Mathias grumbled at being prodded all willy nilly and threw his blankets over Isaacs head. “No one has to know …” He said, holding up his pillow for emphasis.

Isaac fumbled, getting the blankets off of his head and scowled at his older brother. He rummaged through his backpack collecting all that he would need for a hose down and then made his way to his feet. He jabbed a finger at his sister trying desperately to sound badass. "Food. First. Then explore."

Cyd responded by rumpling his hair and giving him a courtesy nod. “Food first. Probably.”

Mathias yawned. “Remember. You let him live …” He reminded Cyd, getting his toiletries together.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Meals, Mahjong, Meeting Up

The China Doll Galley

Joint post with @Gunther, @MK Blitzen, @Winters, @Yule

Hook was almost finished with the meal when the three young people entered the Galley. He nodded to them as they entered and took seats at the table. There was space at one end for their game.

“Heya,” Cyd greeted with a bright smile, taking a seat next to her brother as she placed her cortex on the table. The oldest of the three, Mathias - set up the mahjong tiles. At least he claimed to be the oldest, but Cyd had her doubts. He was definitely the tallest if that counted for anything, and in his own eyes it counted for everything. The crewman in the galley was about her Yobo’s height, 6 feet and a bit of change.

Mathias, gave a wave to the man cooking in response. He was going to be a bother while the man was working and figured there would be plenty of time for introductions. He was quickly making a subtle bop to Isaac’s idle drumming, slipped out a baggie of Mahjong tiles flipping them character side down as he mixed them on the table. He couldn’t help but clack the tiles to the rhythm as well while dealing and stacking them out. “Eldest or youngest first?”

“Shoot for it,” Cyd said with indignity, tapping Mathias’ chair with her foot. “Give the middle kid a chance.”

"Yeah, how come you never choose middle, Mat? Isaac said, not making eye contact with either sibling as he drummed on the table without even thinking about it. He was engrossed with the shiny little combination lock Mathias picked up for him not too long ago. Only he neglected to save the verdomde paper with the combination.

“Or the youngest could go last from now on ... “ Mathias said with a nonchalant shrug and a sly smile. He waited to see how quick that tune was going to change now as he moved the tiles into place neatly in front of Isaac, Cyd and himself.

"Muukhai." Isaac grumbled with a stink eye to his brother. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "26, 14 33!!" He immediately stopped drumming and picked up the lock, taking his time to enter the numbers. He pulled on the shackle...no good. He put the lock back in it's place on the table and reflexively began drumming again.

“Not an answer …” Mathias saing leaning back in his chair as he rolled a tile between his fingers. “ … what say you Cyd?” He offered since the youngest was dodging any responsibility.

“I’m all for LoLo always going last,” she giggled. “My chances just went from 33 to 50.”

"High score on a run of 5 goes first?" the youngest asked.

“Sorry LoLo it’s between me and Cyd now!” Mathias said in a merry tone putting his tile back in place.

"You just gonna let him go first like that?" Isaac goaded his sister as he lightly padded the table. He didn't need to get grief for knocking the tiles out of position.

Mathias eyes flashed to his hand thinking. “Speed round, first to three plums?” He challenged his sister.

“First to three plums!” She agreed happily. Mathias would be first to three plums.

He was always first to three plums.

The twin vied for the win in a rapid fire game. It was honestly through sheer luck when Mathias face of concentration broke out into a smile. "Sik." He announced showing his hand.

“You Chitlins’ want some grub? Hep yerself,” Hook offered as he flipped some burgers off the grill and onto a plate. He added dogs as well.

Isaac trembled with excitement as he looked to Mathias, then Cyd, then the plate of freshly cooked meats at the far end of the table. This repeated a few more times: Mathias, Cyd, food as the teen did his best impression of a pathetic puppy. Manners weren't exactly his strong suit, especially when it came to 'grub', but the boy held position until he got the blessing from one of the killjoys sitting next to him.

Cyd ticked her head towards the food, releasing the hound she snickered to herself. “Shot, mate,” she told the man she assumed was the cook. “Thanks, this looks lekker, smells great too. Oh, I’m Cyd, this is my brother, Mathias, and my other brother, Isaac. “

"Shot mate ... And for the love of … remember your manners you weren't raised entirely in a barn." Mathias chided at Isaac.

Isaac let out a playful whinny as he gave a grateful nod to the founder of the feast. "Shot, mate!" he concurred with his sibs before making a beeline to the other end of the table, pausing for only a moment to point menacingly at the combination lock that was still stubbornly closed on the table. "I'll deal with you later." he said with all the menace of an archenemy.

“You know where about on New Melbourne we’ll be touching down?” Cyd asked the shipmate.

“Nice to meet you folks,” Joe answered the trio. “The name’s Joe. Joe Hooker, but most folks call me Hook. I just hired onto the China Doll t’day. All I knows is that’s where we headin’ Should be just over a three day trip, but where on that fish bowl we’s landin’? No clue.”

Cyd nodded as the man spoke. Two people just hired. Maiden voyage, or revolving door of crewmates? “Bon Bagay, congrats on the new job, Hook,” she toasted.

"Congwaduwafums." Isaac added to his sister's good wishes through a mouthful of hot dog.

"I swear we tried to teach him good manners, he was unfortunately raised mostly by wolves so we're just happy he's house broken." Mathais snarked. "And yes, Bon Bagay, Congrats on the job. You play?" He offered. "We can deal you in."

“No thanks,” Hook retorted softly with a smile. “I need to clean the place up and check in with Miss Abby. Sounds like some more freight arrived down in the cargo bay.”

"Don't let us get in your way then." Mathais said agreeably. Work first, play later, he understood and the last thing he wanted to do was prevent the man from doing his job.

“Nice to meetcha, Hook!” Cyd called. Hook the cook, that would be easy to remember. She rolled one of the tiles to the back of her hand. “Middle goes first? Yes?” Hopefully they were in for smooth sailing. There would be plenty of work on New Melbourne - she had a good feeling.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Skyejacked Part 1

Eavesdown Docks

OOC: JP between @sail3695, @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

The sun was getting low at the Eavesdown Docks. But business was still operating, many going down to the wire. Cargo was being stowed by the crew of their respective ships and were prepping up for dust off as soon as the sunset.

The trio had celebrated their haul with dinner and small treats afterward. When you love life like the Skyes doing what they did the present was often the most pressing.

Small victories. It kept their spirits high.

Mathias walked alongside his sister, eyes flicking from each ship and briefly to the destinations on their boards.

Isaac deftly weaved in between and around his brother and sister on his longboard, barely grazing the edge of Mathias' coat or Cyd's hair as he circled. Some of his winnings went towards the new bucket he was carrying along with various candy that filled it partway. "So where we lookin' to go this time?" the teen asked as he popped his gum cheerfully. "I hear Ariel's got rich folk. Probably get much better tips too." he reasoned. "Though, we probably'll need to be all fancy dressed and I ain't got much formal clothes."

"Tsh … you just wanna swim in those bioluminescent pools they got." Mathias chuckled.

"How do ya think they light those things?" The younger Skye pondered. Without waiting for an answer, he continued rambling on about lights under the water, glowing fish, and several other postulations, each more elaborate and ridiculous.

Cyd shifted the lollipop resting against her teeth to the other side before using it to point to a rundown-looking ship on the docks. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but something about it made her brother shake his head. Right, right, the number four. No-go. At least this go-round they could afford to be a little choosy. She pulled her hat down to brace against a sudden gust. “What about that one?” She asked, interrupting Isaac as his conversation to himself continued. She pointed to a ship with a redhead about her own size standing on a gangplank, discussing something with a larger man.

Mathias tilted his head to the side then look at their next destination. "I do like fish …" he mused to his sister.

“You like food," she giggled in response.

"It's true I do like food," Mathias said with fake innocence. "Let's check 'er out, if they try to rake us we can move on. Plenty of ships in the sky."

Cyd nodded. The well on Persephone hadn’t yet run dry, but you were always better off if your motivation wasn’t desperation. Desperation is how you get into trouble, and if there was anything the Skye’s wanted to avoid, it was trouble. She shifted the weight of her backpack and patiently waited for their turn.

Least they ain’t footpads, Abby glanced over Caruthers’ shoulder at the trio who stood waitin’ for a chance to deal. “So,” she asked the industrialist, “will fifteen percent off seal the deal?”

Caruthers shifted, aware of the presence of listening ears. “Twenty would be better...but we’ve both got commitments to keep.” He offered his hand. “Miss Travis, I’ll have my men by with the cargo and your payment in thirty minutes.”

“Shiny,” the girl shook the perfectly manicured hand. “Pleasure. We’ll getcher stuff there safe an’ sound.” As the well appointed gentleman offered a nod and turned away, Abby’s eyes set upon them as come walkin’ up. “Lookin’ fer passage to New Melbourne?”

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Street Credits Part 5

Persephone City

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

It would have been understandable to assume that the teen was playing along to something being piped out of his oversized headphones, but no music played from them. This new little toy the teen recently acquired and was quite proud of was, in fact, a listening device, capable of canceling out or minimizing some frequencies (like the sounds of his bucket drums) while dialing in others (like a specific conversation in a group) and the conversation he just heard caused him to perk up.

With a few taps on the side of the device, he was able to isolate the conversation of a couple or Alliance purple bellies starting their patrolling of the square. It seemed like they never had much else to do except harass street performers trying to earn a living. Getting jammed up with the likes of them would cost them the rest of their afternoon at the very least, more of they decided to be total pains in the ass. The boy hit a rather unusual flourish and changed up the rhythm yet again and really gave the impression he was into it. The beat, however, disguised a code that Isaac tapped out in repetition, a skill he learned from his sibs. It said "Time To Go. Purple Belly"

The steady rhythm of Isaac’s drumming was better than any trance mix Cyd had on her playlist at drowning out the world. The motion was more muscle memory than focus, which is why any change was jarring. When you perform the same routine over and over, the slightest change was enough to prick your ear, especially when Isaac threw in a lick to tip them off.

Keeping the beat on the plastic bucket, she paid attention to the ping of the can, spelling it out in her head. She dropped low to turn under Mathias’ butterfly kick, always a crowd pleaser probably because his legs were so damn long. Purple Bellies. “Yaveskh tsag.” she repeated. There was no time for more credits. Isaac would have to find more buckets and cans. She hastily grabbed her hat, dumping it and Isaac’s take into her backpack.

"Maji ya fink." Mathias responded with a snort as the crowd clapped and cheered at the conclusion. He could just see the purple bellies harassing the balloon man. The crowd cheering had finally caught their attention. "Ag man! Ve rooted. Hustle up!" He urged snatching his bags from the ground and using his size to make holes through the crowd.

Even though he was the first to spot the Purps, Isaac was caught flat-footed with how quickly his sister and brother ended the performance. He was just rolling into a fill when Cyd grabbed the sticks out of his hands and stuffed them into her pack. He didn't even have time to gather up his makeshift instruments before being led through the crowd, Cyd's hand firmly clasped around his wrist.

He looked back lamenting the bucket he loved...and lost. His sorrow was short-lived, however, when the old familiar bark of "You! Stop right there!" pierced the din of the crowd. There'll be other buckets the teen reassured himself as the trio redoubled their efforts to get the hell out of there.

"It's funny", he griped to no one in particular, "Why do they always yell 'Stop' when it's just gonna make people run away faster?"

"Think of it as a competency test. You're an idiot if you don't run." Mathias quipped.

"Then we must be the smartest húndàn in the 'Verse!" Isaac chaffed in return.

“Less talky-talky, more bolty-bolty.” Cyd added as a shrill whistle blew.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Street Credits Part 2

Persephone City

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen and @Yule

The left earpiece on her headphones had gone out again, but Cyd wasn’t too worried about it. It was an easy enough fix, and besides it let her better hear Isaac’s rhythm to move her feet as she worked the crowd, pencil turning twice up to a slightly older man, late 20’s maybe in an expensive looking shirt.

She smiled and touched his arm, he returned the grin and seemed to like the attention, dropping a few credits in the hat she offered. In return, she cha cha stepped with him before moving on. A blonde had both of her eyebrows raised in a way that indicated she was less than enchanted with a little rave dancing.

Moving on.

The girl with the braids! Too many braids, but she looked like she was having fun as she hopped on her toes and whipped her hair wildly. Briefly Cyd wondered if she ever hit herself in the eye with one of the beads she used to secure the ends of each braid, because that would hurt like a bitch. Still, she grabbed the younger girl’s wrist and dragged her to the front. Parents were an easy mark, show their kiddo a little attention and credits will follow. Cyd slowed down to show the girl a few simple running-man steps, and the kid awkwardly bopped along as her mother took a vid on her cortex. A round of applause was given to the girl, and both parents put credits into the hat. Easy Peasy.

The blonde brushed past her pointedly to drop babki in the bin by Isaac, it’s all going the same place, bitch, Cyd mused to herself. An older teen, 19, 20ish, egged on by his peers stepped in, reeking of body spray and hair gel, like he’d been baking with it in the sun. He flashed a few credits and Cyd inwardly lamented wrinkling her nose as she brightened her smile.

Like the young girl, Cyd tried to show him the running man, but he was more interested in posturing, raising his shirt to show off his abs as he rolled his body. She briefly wondered if in the history of histories that ever worked for him as a pick-up move, and the punk stepped in closer to grind. Had it been a party, she’d have introduced her knee to his favorite body part, but this was work. Besides, it was easy enough to T-step away, twirling her aqua hair in a circle for effect. She pointed to the hat, he pointed to himself. Stalemate.

Moving on.