Winters

A Firefly Tale

Shared Space Part 5

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Kinneas adjusts to his situation.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen, @Aalakrys

“That’s a risk you take when you ask for someone’s deal on a Firefly,” Tim said, taking a long pull from his water bottle. “Nobody ends up on a ship like this by making good choices, or by having other ones. But if you’re looking for work as a companion, New Kasmir is the perfect place to try it out, plenty of fine folk looking for company.”

Behind them Vas and Serena when at it the girls thrusts, jabs and slashes where met with counters, the clack of Vas's wooden knife meeting her and air.

Serena thrusted her wooded blade pushing for an advantage as Vas skipped back like a water bug. She got too eager and sayle the trage to late as Vas locked her arm, disarmed her and as the wooden practice weapon clack on the metal flooring she was just as quick flattened on the floor feeling a gentle jab on her neck.

"You’re dead pigtails." Vas said, helping her back up. "Again." He encouraged her

Serena physically shook it off, her pigtails swinging to and fro with the motion. “Again?” she asked, not able to keep the whine out of her voice. Getting one upped was bad. Getting one up… in front of the new guy?

“My chances are lookin’ better an’ better,” Tim called over.

"Oh I'm sorry, are you tired? Would you rather do something else?" Vas said innocently enough.

Serena contemplated. Whenever Vas used that tone of voice, the something else usually turned out to be wall sitting, duck walking, or something with stance in the title. “No,” she relented.

"You sure I mean if you're not up for it I got other ideas?" He said with a devious smile as he squared up on her.

Serena held the knife in a fighting stance, signaling she was ready. “Whatever they are, I’m sure I won’t like ‘em,” she lamented, waiting for his opening move.

"Probably." Vas shrug and stepped in with a feint. The duo moved quickly as they clashed. Serena narrowly missed kicking Vas in the gut. Vas caught the leg jabbing her inner leg with his wooden knife before sweeping her to the flat of her back. "See Tim you're missing out? That could be you." He joked, helping Serena up.

“If I’m flat on my back, I’ll be otherwise occupied,” Tim said in return. “And seeing as this is too painful to watch, I’m going to go hit the showers. Shortstack, I’ll ask Doc to leave you some aspirin.”

A Firefly Tale

Shared Space Part 3

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Kinneas adjusts to his situation.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen, @Aalakrys

“You say you ain’t working hard but it looks like you're working extra hard there.” Vas sniped noting the peacock display as he sauntered in. He was already dressed for another session with Serena, a bit of his tattoo peeking from the top of his tank top, his hands already wrapped and he went to the rack where he had been keeping their practice weapons.

Kinneas rolled his eyes but stayed focused on what he was doing.

Serena side-glanced to her future husband before refocusing on the task at hand, and the wooden knives her Onii removed from the rack. “Heya Kinneas.” She crooned before crinkling her nose. “Tim,” she added with disdain.

“Short Stack,” Tim replied with a chuckle, then nodded to address Vas, “Flapjack, stabbing practice today?”

"Care to join in? Serena could always use the practice on someone that ain't me, of course, I understand if you can’t handle getting your ass thrown around by a sixteen-year-old." Vas responded to Tim innocently.

“C’mon Tim,” Serena snapped in response, holding her hands in a boxing stance while dancing on her toes.

Tim snorted. “You understand, yet you keep offering, it’s a fight where even if I win, I lose. You and Pigtails have at it.”

"I love your positive attitude, that you think you have a chance against my Serena." Vas chuckled.

Serena puffed up with pride, standing straighter, her shoulders raising to her ears and dropping while a smile spread over her face.

“My ego needs no checking,” Tim assured him. “Besides, it’s like I said. I’m not a fighter, I’m a bleeder.”

The metal clanked as Kinneas set the bar back from the first set. From his reclined position, he thoughtfully said: "Good causes need those, too. 'sides, I bet the girl wouldn't cut you up too much, would ya, Xiao Hua (Little Flower)?"He turned his head on the bench with a hint of a smirk at Serena. "Pilot has to fly the ship and all."

Serena giggled, the tips of her ears turning pink from the attention, as she shook her head no, her pigtails following suit.

A Firefly Tale

Less Than Welcoming

Lunar Veil | Kinneas’s Bunk

Summary

Kinneas pissed off the the punk and Vas get’s his and his sister’s stuff back.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @Aalakrys

The smell of something cooking started to drift around the ship from the galley. The sound of the crew going about their day had passed by Kinneas’s hatch all day but suddenly one of them stopped and the sound of someone coming down the later broke the monotony of his day so far.

Kinneas lay on his back, resting his head on an arm and staring at the ceiling. He’d expended all he could think to do as he went from boiling mad to a light simmer. But now that someone was inviting themselves in, he felt that heat turn up a notch as he glared up at the ladder.

Vas climbed down matching Kinneas glare. He didn’t wait or pause, he walked in like he owned the place to the dresser taking the brush and hair care bottles that belonged to Serena.

Kinneas watched him do so, but didn’t move from his position - not even to uncross his ankles.

The punk walked back up the ladder, pausing for a moment. “Come in our room again pervert. I’ll slit your throat in your sleep. Don’t think a locked door will stop me either.” He said coolly before climbing up and out. He paused again remembering why he originally was passing by his majesty’s room. “Right, dinners almost ready …” He said down the hatch. “... biantai de chou jidan (perverted cracked rotten egg).” Vas muttered heading to his room to return the stolen stuff.

As enticing as food sounded, Kinneas told himself there was no way in hell he was going to join that crazy bunch. It certainly wouldn’t be pleasant. He’d gone a few days without food after he’d ended up on Silverhold the first go-round, and they’d be at the waystation soon enough. There were a few credits left in his account to get something there, but rationalizing it only made him madder since he had begun considering the merits of a prison cell if he was caught.

A Firefly Tale

Green Light Part 2

Lunar Veil | Jat’s Bunk

Summary

Serena gets her first mission.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

"I guess,” she said, dragging herself off his bunk to put the PREN down. Her stomach hurt. All feelings of excitement were replaced with dread. She didn’t want to admit it to Vas, but she was expecting more of a milk run.

"What's wrong? It's a good mission. They clearly think well of you. You were bouncing off the walls not long ago." Vas asked stretching his legs out.

“They think well of you,” she corrected. “Only I’m not Vas.”

"You earned this mission on your own." Vas stressed. "And yes maybe because of me that may have put a higher expectation on you. But I know you can do it. Is that what you're worried about? That it's more than you can handle?"

Serena shrugged. “A little. I guess. Maybe.“

"It's your first. What you're feeling is perfectly normal." Vas said, crossing his legs.

Serena looked at him suspiciously, nothing about this felt normal at all. “Did you feel like that?”

"I'm pretty sure I threw up, I was so nervous about it." Vas admitted.

Serena nodded. “I like my pinkies,” she said, showing her fingers to him.

"The pinkies thing is just a story we tell to scare Apprentices around a campfire. No one does that anymore." Vas laughed.

“Like Tim and the ghost with the golden arm?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Only Tim's story never actually happened and the pinkie thinks it used to actually be a thing. Just only with Yakuza and not many of those left anymore probably because they keep taking pinkies." Vas snorted. "Listen. I know right now it sounds like a lot. It feels like a mountain. But I know you have suffered worse and survived with no training at all. You aint helpless, not now … not ever."

“What if I can’t do it? Then they’re gonna give you a new apprentice. And who’s gonna be my Onii-San?” She crossed her arms and tried to dismiss the image of her onii with a new mei mei or didi. Instantly, she hated the imaginary interloper.

"Did they give me to you'?" Vas asked his tone dry.

“No,” she admitted. “You had to go an ask them and we had to test and wait and test and wait and then wait some more and complete tasks.”

"Exactly, it's a pain in the ass. But … for you. It was worth it." Vas reminded. "They saw what I saw. So … here we are."

“And you know I can do it.” She repeated, more than asked.

"I know you can do it." Vas stated. "Will it be hard? Yes. First time is always the worst but I know you can do it."

A Firefly Tale

Ready Or Not Part 9

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Vas and Serena are training in the Cargo Bay. Vas is worked up and on edge and Serena works to sus out why.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

“Ohhhh,” Serena said with a giggle, visibly relieved. She rested her head against her brother’s shoulder. “I didn’t know they took that into considering.”

"Are you kidding I haven't been on a stealth mission in ages, not since I last grew a few inches. Not unless they were worried about heavy resistance. I'm too big and heavy now, not when they can send in someone smaller and quieter and I ain't ever done any type of honey pot." Vas shrugged.

“I’m smaller!” she said happily. “And I could probably be even more quieter, And I think you’d make for a good honey pot, on account of you have pretty eyes.”

"Ha! No. They spend years learning how to do that kind of thing. It's treated just as much of an art." Vas giggled still hung up on the idea of doing that kind of thing. "I would be a disaster."

“But you would catch ‘em off guard!” She giggled, poking her brother in the ribs. “They would never see it coming!”

"Buddha's belly I wouldn't see it coming." He laughed. "But I will keep it in mind next time I'm on the ropes. Not the strangest thing I did. One guy was apparently very ticklish. Just saying."

“How would that help anything?” She asked.

"Okay so I was getting the crap kicked out of me, this guy was huge, hit like a sledgehammer. He knocks my sorry pi gu down and he's on top just pummeling me. I was getting desperate and I took a huge gamble … and tickled his sides." Vas grinned chuckling. "I dunno who was more surprised, me or him."

Serena laughed. “I’m going to try that next time we practice, when you least expect it.”

"Go on and try it. I would love to see how that works out for you." Vas said with a mischievous grin.

“I will!” She said, just as mischievously. “That might be my thing.”

"Careful they may move you to become a torturer instead!" Vas said attacking Serena's ribs.

Serena laughed and swatted him off, “Onii! I hope not.” She dissolved into another giggle fit before leaning back against him.

"Leave the fretting to me. You get a good mission and come out the other side stronger and wiser. Hopefully with nothing broken." Vas said with a reassuring smile.

“On account of I’m ready,” she said. “On account of you said. And I won’t let you down, Onii, honest and swear.”

"I know so we best get you as prepared as we can." Vas said, getting up. "We're going to start
practicing with your gear on. Get you more familiar with the feel of it since you are taking a more active role." Vas said, extending a hand to help her up.

Serena took his hand and was yanked to her feet. “Okay,” She agreed. “Just in case it’s that sorta mission. But more than likely it’s not, right?”

"Never hurts to be prepared." Vas smirked.

“That was the first thing you said,” she remembered. “Now how about we stealth into the galley an’ get some more red apples before they’re all gone?”

"I'll get the cinnamon." He said racing ahead his apprentice to the galley.

“I’ll start making tea!” Serena offered. “It’s the best part of practice.”

A Firefly Tale

Ready Or Not Part 7

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Vas and Serena are training in the Cargo Bay. Vas is worked up and on edge and Serena works to sus out why.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

Serena struggled, frustrated. “Dammit,” She said dejectedly, trying to shrug him off.

"Relax. Take a breath. Think. Are your legs pinned?" Vas asked calm as ever.

“No,” Serena grumbled, letting out a breath to relax.

"Well my arms are full aren't they? What's stopping you?"

Serena gathered her strength and waited a few seconds before kicking out, with both feet, like a rabbit, trying to catch Vas in the face with a knee.

Her one knee made contact with Vas's cheek as barely caught herself with her free leg to slip out completing the flip, granted a bit wobbly but no one was giving out points for gracefulness.

"See." Vas rubbing his now tender cheek.

Serena went for another strike with the knife, rather than waiting for him to reset or recover from the blow.

Vas leaned back letting the gleaming knife sim by before whipping for way into a roll moving to a sweep from behind Serena.

Serena yelped as Vas’s foot connected with the back of her right knee. Caught off balance, she fell with zero grace, her left foot inadvertently catching Vas on the chin on the way down.

"You know you keep hitting me in the face. At some point I'm going to take it personally." Vas joked. "Definitely hitting harder …" He complimented.

“Sorry, Onii-San,” She giggled, picking herself up off the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Vas chuckled and waved it off. "Take a break, you earned it."

Serena sat on her tail and nursed her bruised ribs and ego. “I gotta hit harder on account of like you said, I’m ready. “

Vas laughed. "Naw … I mean don't get me wrong, hitting hard is good but knowing where to hit maximizing your effort? More important. Don't go and fight like me, fight like you. You're small, they're going to underestimate you … take advantage." He said, passing her a water bottle. "Still you are miles away from where you started. You earned this opportunity."

Serena grunted as she reached for the watter bottle. “I can’t help but fight like me,” She said. “You got a better reach so I gotta try and fight closer ranged, and then get way out of the way. You’re a lot taller. And ‘course! We practice near every day.”

A Firefly Tale

Ready Or Not Part 5

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Vas and Serena are training in the Cargo Bay. Vas is worked up and on edge and Serena works to sus out why.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

“Grrrr!” She growled, selecting a shiny knife. “I got it Onii. Don’t worry, I won’t be scared. I’ll scare them, like you. Just like you.”

"Naw kiddo. You find your own scary, that's how you do it, you'll figure it out. Arrite arm up well go through the motion, warm you up properly and well get the meat of it. Nick me and I'll throw you across the room Kay?" Vas smiled. He would absolutely toss her if she did.

“Focus, and you won’t get nicked,” she giggled. “Fiiiine, I won’t, I won’t,” She promised, checking over her shoulder once so Vas couldn’t pull the same trick. “Honest and swear.”

Vas moved in to bonk the girl for looking away.

Serena caught his movement out of the corner of her eye and deflected his arm, turning her wrist to block with the hilt side of the knife. She’d been put down once, twice was definitely off her agenda for the night!

Vas moved quickly, stepping to hook kick snagging her behind the knee. He snaked an arm around her, twisting it behind her and threw her forward. "Always keep your eyes in the fight." He chided. "You're fighting me, not Goldilocks."

“Goldilocks?” She giggled, preparing to take a swing at him as soon as she regained her balance.

"Yeah you know cuz of the hair and the eating of our apples like it's no big deal. Guy doesn't look like he knows what it's like to live on protein paste for a full week." Vas snorted.

“His hair’s not gold,” Serena corrected. “It’s more the color of a sandy beach – nuh uh - you’re trying to distract me,” she accused.

"I am." He said, stepping forward with a feint. "I'm sure he smells fabulous. With hair like that? Uses fancy soap I bet."

“That’s low, Onii!” she shot. “Making me think of him in the shower.” She tried to focus after that… really.

"No such thing Mei Mei!" He chortled and sent her flying. "Maybe you should go back to the wooden knives." He teased. "Till you can stop thinking about what shampoo the new guy uses."

“It smells like coconut!” she said dreamily from the floor, giving herself just a split second to remember it. “But too bad for you, I’m 100% focused on this fight.”

"Too late you're dead." Vas said, tapping the tip of his wooden knife to her chest. "Well at least you’ve got a future being a meat sheath."

A Firefly Tale

Ready Or Not Part 3

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Vas and Serena are training in the Cargo Bay. Vas is worked up and on edge and Serena works to sus out why.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

“Clean up? I’ll be careful…” Serena said, taking a moment to let the gravity sink in. “But you wouldn’t a said I wasn’t ready if I wasn’t ready, on account of you don’t lie. So, it’s okay, Onii.”

"It's not going to stop me from fretting." Vas said side eyeing his apprentice. "You are … but the first is always the hardest and it's something I can't prepare you for. Hell … I don't know what the mission is going to be."

“Milk run, like you said,” She reminded him. “And if it goes sour, I have the best back-up. Don’t worry, Onii-san. I won’t let you down,” She was going to boop him on the nose for emphasis, but that would be the opposite of focused reassurance. “And we’ll practice really hard between now and then.”

"Serena, I don't think you understand. If you screw up on this I'm not there to rescue you." Vas emphasized.

Serena tilted her head. Vas didn’t lie, but on the same token, he’d proven there wasn’t a force in the Verse ‘could stop him if he she needed him. “But..”

"This is about you Serena, I will be there to watch your back and advise you but I cannot directly intervene." He stressed. "It's as near solo for an apprentice as it gets."

“Solo? I have to go solo? By myself? Alone? Without you? What happens if I can’t finish it?” She asked, tilting her head and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"It depends." Vas said with a sigh.

“On?” Serena asked, tilting her head to the other side.

"If you get busted and can't fight your way out." Vas shrugged. "If you get bad intel? It happens … a number of things can go wrong but it won't matter because how you handle it is what's going to count. You fail a mission, you fail a mission, it will happen, it's going to happen. You surviving it? But it won't come down to that right?" Vas said redirecting the conversation.

Serena pushed the thought down. Way down, she didn’t want to think about not surviving. First time out was gonna be a milk run, he was being what was the word? Foreshadowing? No. That wasn’t it. Foreboding!, Foreboding so she’d take it serious. She’d show him serious. “Nope,” she replied. “On account of you said I’m ready, so… I am.” This time she did ‘boop’ him on the nose. “Honest and swear.”

Vas was not amused. "This is why I need you focused." He said tugging a pigtail. Vas was more worried the gravity of what she would have to go through wasn't sinking in properly. Hopefully it would later maybe she just needed time to wrap her brain around it. "You being distracted even for a moment can get you killed. So … training isn't going to stop, you are going to be on point all day every day and will wait for when you think I'm not looking, or if you seem momentarily distracted … and hopefully I will only throw “something at your head." He said flatly. Vas wasn't trying to be an asshole …he was just trying to make sure she would come out of this whole. Well, mostly whole.

A Firefly Tale

Ready Or Not Part 1

Lunar Veil | Cargo Bay

Summary

Vas and Serena are training in the Cargo Bay. Vas is worked up and on edge and Serena works to sus out why.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

Vas was waiting in the cargo bay, smoking one of his black cigs as he played with one of the wooden training knives. He breathed out through his nose sending out a plume of surgery clove smoke.

“I’m here, I’m here, Onni,” Serena said, the scent of clove filling her lungs as she raced into the cargo bay. “Sorry, I wanted to make sure he was settled in good.”

Vas crushed the remains of his cig in the ashtray tossing Serena a wooden practice knife. "Mei Mei you know he's only here till the next stop,'' He reminded as he stretched his arms.

“I know, I know…” she said, her shoulders dropping. “Mostly. Don’t worry, I’m not getting attached.”

"Are you?" Vas asked, squaring off. "I can’t have you sulking and moping about. Not this go around."

Serena rolled her eyes and let out a dramatic, exasperated sigh. “I’m not,” she promised. “But there’s nothing wrong with being cordial is there? Isn’t that one of the rules of hospitalitism?”

"Hospitality." Vas corrected. "I'm being serious. I need you focused. Cordial is one thing, getting moon eyed is not." He said pointing his wooden knife at her.

“What?” She said indignantly, her ears suddenly burning as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “Moon eyed? I’m… that… what … No, I’m not… moon eyed!”

Vas tilted his head giving her a level look. Honestly this couldn't have happened at a worse time but on the other hand he could use this as a lesson on keeping focused. "Liar." He said, thrusting forward.

Serena narrowed her eyes, and just as narrowly evaded the wooden knife, using the outside edge of her arm to block, wincing slightly at not being ready for the strike.

"I get he's like a new puppy with ridiculous hair." He said swinging at her again. "Your young and new ain't a common thing on this ship."

“Maybe he likes his hair long, like you like your mohawk,” she defended. “And how I like my pigtails, and how Tim and Enid get the same haircut.”

"My point Serena …" Vas continued slashing at her again to force her on the defensive. " … Is you're distracted."

“I’m not!” she insisted. Serena backed up from each slash, the wood of the knife end connecting with her forearms a few times until her back hit one of the crates in the cargo bay, and the teen made a grab for her brother’s wrist.

A Firefly Tale

A Favor Part 1

Lunar Veil | Cockpit

Summary

Fox calls in a favor from Jago.

OOC: JP between @Winters, @MK Blitzen

The Fox poured himself a drink as he waited for Jago to answer his wave.

Jago sat down in the co-pilot's seat while Tim was making himself look busy over some charts on the pilots screen. He sighed and tapped the screen accepting the wave. "A call so soon Ted? I didn't you cared so much?" The greying captain joked.

“You know me,” The Fox joked back. “Caring is my middle name. Barnet’s family was happy you got ‘em out in one piece, I’ll see to it you’re wired what you’re due.”

"You do that." Jago chuckled. "Glad everyone is satisfied but you would be calling to sit around and pat each other's backs. You got something lined up already?"

“Matter of fact, I do. But first, I have to cash in a chip.” The Fox said, taking a long pull of his whiskey.

"This have anything to do with the whining romance cover we snatched up before Interpol' did?" Jago asked with a quirk of the eyebrow.

“Kinneas Reed,” The Fox said knowingly. “ Hired him out more than once. More than twice. More than a dozen times in fact. He’s one of the good guys.”

"I've seen his file." Jago said agreeably. "I have a sixteen year old on board that gives me less guff. What about 'em."

“What they’re saying about the mine up at Cold Creek - that weren’t him. I got 3 of my best going out that way to prove it. Til then, he’s gonna need a place to lay low and still earn some credits,” Fox explained.

"Ted, are you aware of the company I keep on this ship? If my panties got bunch just cuz one guy allegedly blew up a mine on purpose I'm in the wrong line of work. We'll be dropping into a nice cozy town in New Kashmir, perfect spot for a guy like Rapunzel to hang his hair up. I'm sure he can keep himself busy with local work till everything cools down." Jago said, making a vague motion clearly missing what Fox was trying to get at. "It's hunting season after all!"

“Not a lot of work for a man of Reed’s talents on New Kasmir. I was thinking he could lay low on your ship. If I get a job for him, or I get a job for you - there’s more than enough work to go around. Fit right in with your bunch of miscreants if you give ‘em a little time. Ain’t like you never dealt with ‘rough around the edges.’ is it?”

"Wait let me get this straight … you asking me to take on Rapunzel?" Jago asked, scrunching his face.

“Cashing in a chip for you to take on Reed,” Fox clarified.