Winters

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Hey, Brother Part 3

The China Doll

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

Skye’s Music

Cyd jammed her fists into the pockets of her hoodie.There was nothing worse than that moment in an argument, the moment you knew you were in the wrong. aShe bit the inside of her cheek. Her hands shook, and she was losing the battle of keeping tears locked up where they belonged. She wasn’t sure who she was agriest with - Mathias for calling her out, herself for letting her guard down, or Baker, for putting her in that spot, putting Abby in danger, getting her shot. She wished she had time to check in on the little redhead, see how she was doing. Less than a week on the job and shot in the gat. Had it not been for Isaac’s outburst, she’d have… well, she wasn’t sure what. She glared angrily at Mathias, softening her gaze to meet Isaac’s, thankful for the distraction, and her voice cracked with emotion. “Why do you say that, Lolo?”

“I am only dealing with one set of crazy per day.” Mathias groused.

"Fokkoff" Isaac bitterly snapped back at his brother before turning to Cyd. "Think about it. You had two women and a kid in the cargo bay, right?" he interrogated his sister as he worked things out in his head.

“Jip, Me, Baker and Abby,” she agreed, trying to shake off the adrenaline.

"And he fired...a Purp... on two unarmed vroue and a kind??" Isaac asked incredulously. "When's the last time you heard of that?"

“It was a warning,” Cyd replied, scrunching her shoulders with the memory. “Straight up.”

"Why'd he fire a warning shot inside a ship?" Isaac pressed, fully interested in the details of what happened before he arrived. It helped him take his mind off of the unfortunate events that occurred after he arrived. "Was anyone making a move on him?"

“No,” Cyd said with a shake of her head, hazy details clearing. “He said Marisol Chavez, you are bound by law. She had her hands out where he could see ‘em, to the sides,” she demonstrated Marisol’s stance. “She said he was bound by law to tell her the charges, he asked if we thought he was playing and fired. Never said any charges.”

Isaac clapped his hands together in a 'eureka' moment and pointed excitedly at his sister. "That's a mugger move! Get 'em shook up so they don't try anything. If he was a Fed, he was crooked." he added with the confidence of a TV show detective that cracked the case.

“Settle the fok down, Nancy Drew. You know damn well Fed's don't got the exclusive on shooting people. Dead is dead no matter what side shoots so aint no point dwelling on it.” Mathias retorted, digging through his bag.

Cyd squeezed Isaac’s shoulder ... Lolo had a point. If he was a fed, he was ongeskik, he didn’t know what the fok he was doing - one fed? No back up? But Mathias had a point too. Dead would be dead, if it was a Fed, a Brownie, or someone in between pulling the trigger, it wouldn’t matter none if she lost one of her own.

"So what do we do now?" Isaac asked, completely out of ideas. If they all just greased a Purp, we're gonna get dragged into a lotta heat … especially her." He added, motioning his head towards Cyd. "We gotta weg wees ASAP...get scarce." He said, not bothering to mask his worry for his sister.

“This ship is a malhuis we keep the mal’s at arms length. Head down, don’t make eye contact, the only sane person on this damn ship so far is probably the damned bird.” Mathias said with a snort.

"I am gonna miss that bird." Isaac wistfully, smiling a little and allowing himself a small bit of joy in this otherwise horrific day. "Past couple days, he was always in the galley. I know I wasn't supposed to, but I snuck him some of my fries." He impishly grinned.

“We got a job,” Cyd added, guilt-stricken as she checked the charge on her data pad. “I’ll make the call. It’s my mess, and if word gets back,” she shrugged. “Better I own it.”

Isaac bumped the side of his head affectionately against his sister's leg. "It's all our mess, regso?"

“Yea but only one of us gets taken to task for it.” Mathias muttered quietly, finding his tin. “Can I trust you two not to get me or anyone else killed till we finish this job? Or better, not get into any mystery hijinks with that damn bird? Isaac.”

The younger Skye gave a non-committal shrug in a playful effort to defuse his high strung older brother. In most cases, his super seriousness could be downright annoying but today…well...it's not every day someone's insides end up on their outsides and then end up on your face. Mathias might be due a little leeway on this one. Isaac still hadn't processed what he had seen. Best not to think about it, he figured.

If Cyd’s head hadn’t been clouded, she’d have thought to bring up the oddity of the Neko cats on board, thinking there was something likely housed inside them. Drugs, she briefly thought, or more microchips, or it was the Alliance, they could be bugged or full of explosives for all they knew. That would all have to wait. They had a job to run.

“You need new shirts,” Cyd reminded, glad to change the subject to something, anything else. One more thing they didn’t account for while budgeting. “Job board said white shirts over black, black shoes. Event starts at 7, we’re there at 6 to set up. Not a lot of time. Let’s hit the shops for some button ups. We’ll need the money unless we want to get stranded. Then we go see the planet’s biggest cannon, maybe the pirate cove, like we planned.” Like we planned. Cyd thought, as she mentally practiced what she was going to say.

"Stranded beats getting caught up the stink that's gonna follow this boat and crew if they don't take issue with smeering someone, Fed or otherwise." Isaac reasoned, his attention back to finishing up his board. He gave one of the wheels a firm spin and watched as it went on turning, near silent, for well over a minute. "Baie mooi." He said, looking satisfied with the results.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

The Kids Are Alright Part 3

The China Doll

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

Skye’s Music

Cyd put her speaker on the galley table, the house music radiating loud enough to shake a few glasses. Isaac looked pleased as punch and was eager to get back to their room, antsy, which almost, but not quite won out over his stomach. Cyd let the steady techno rhythm move her feet, though she did take half a step closer to her brothers when two cagey looking… passengers? Crew mates? They hadn’t met everyone on board yet, paused in the doorway. They were cagey looking, that was for sure. The taller one smiled and gave a few steps of what could possibly be called a really weak Charleston. Cyd threw in a diamond T-step to retaliate moving into a slide slide.

The food from breakfast has long been gobbled up by the crew and really the Skye’s had no one to blame but themselves. It was just long ingrained habits they had developed. “Oye.” Mathias greeted keeping. “A’right birdies, let's see what we got … who's hungry for what? We got options.”

Isaac was tapping absentmindedly with the rhythm, his thoughts completely elsewhere. Only two things broke through: one was the two creeps that paused in the doorway to ogle his sister. Something didn't sit right about those two. Spending years on the streets, you develop a nose for spotting people who were up to no good and those two were it. Fortunately, they moved along after the shorter man shoved the tall one out on his awkward mating display. The teen chuckled to himself, which the tall one seemed to notice and a brief expression crossed his face that he didn't like being laughed at one bit. He took a warning step towards the Skyes.

Thwack! Mathias aggressively bashed the knife he was holding against an empty chopping board with enough force to garner the attention of both men. The eldest of the Skye sibs gave a warning glare to the interlopers. Shorty ushered Tallboy on their way and Cyd couldn’t help but giggle, switching up her footwork in time to the next song. Heel-Toe-Cross.

“Skelm,” she said under her breath, stopping after they’d left.

This could be trouble later. Isaac shrugged it off when that other thing demanded his undivided attention: food. It's siren song beckoning through his nostrils. And the best thing of all that he heard his brother say? 'Options'!

“We gots the trappings for some shakshuka?” Mathias offered peeking through the cupboards as he acquainted himself with the kitchen. “I think …” He mused.

"Laduma!!" Isaac said with excitement. "You ain't made shakshuka in a dog's age!"

“Esh! Not often we gots a kitchen to cook in.” Mathias reminded as he started pulling together spices and ingredients.

“Lekker,” Cyd agreed, shrugging off the encounter.

The rambunctious trio resumed their jibbs and jokes as Mathias pulled a meal to gethe with the little bits of this and that along with some protein paste to bulk it up without adding any flavor. Soon enough there was a high sided pan with chunky tomato sauce still bubbling. There was a bit of veggies, some frozen, some fresh cooked in the liquid and four eggs simmered on the top of it all cooking over easy. Mathias also pan fried a pile of flatbread after he found the flour.

“Smaaklike ete.” Matthias said, clapping his hands together.

“Itadakimasu.” Cyd replied clapping her hands in front of her as she slid into one of the galley chairs, waiting impatiently for her food to cool. Isaac had less self control. Her younger brother gasped and fanned his mouth as he shoveled in the hot food. It’d only been a day and a half in the black, but, she thought as she glanced around the galley. I could really get used to this. She did, afterall, have a good feeling about the China Doll.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Take It To The Mattress

Passenger Dorm, Skye’s Siblings Bedroom

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

The Song Cyd is playing

Cyd set up the mini - but mighty - speaker near her bunk, the steady pulse of trance music filling the cabin as she scrolled through her DSB Encrypted Datapad. She chuckled and stretched out, listening to her brothers’ antics mixing with the music.

Mathias stared down the youngest Skye shuffling the card with dramatic flair. The thrum cards continued as the spontaneous contest intensified. “Spit.” He offered, blue eyes narrowing slightly.

"Least it's not Georgian Rat Screw." Isaac said with a half hearted sigh. "Why do I let you pick the challenge? You always pick cards!" The teen complained, his face scrunched in frustration.

“Because thumb wars with little luchador masks, is only entertaining to you.” Mathias said dryly.

"It is!" Isaac responded gleefully. Thumb wrestling would have been a far better option right about now but the game was decided and the stakes couldn't be higher. "How come she don't gotta fight for her bunk?" He groused, jabbing a thumb in his sister's direction.

“Can’t hear you, LoLo,” Cyd called, turning the music up as she continued to scroll. “Good luck though!”

“Besides, she always picks a dance off …” Mathias grumbled.

“Can’t hear you either!” Cyd said with a grin.

Isaac responded to his sister's lies in the most mature way he could muster - he stuck his tongue out at her.

Cyd snickered, tutting with the fingers of her free hand in time with the music. “Now I’m rooting for you, Yobo.”

"Now I'm rooting for you, Yobo.” the youngest Skye mockingly copied his sister.

“Still can’t hear you!” she replied, turning the music louder.

“We playin’ or you just stallin’ LoLo.” Mathias egged Isaac.

"Yeah, yeah." Isaac sighed in resignation. Mathias had already dealt out while the younger Skye was arguing with his sister and his stack of cards was noticeably larger than the one in front of his brother. "Heeeeeyyy!" he complained.

“That's what happens when you yap yap yap and don’t pay attention.” Mathias said pantomiming his brothers yappyness with a hand. “3, 2, 1! GO!!” He said rushing right into the game, slapping three cards, quickly on at a time, in ascending order on to one of the piles.

It was a cutthroat game and Mathias had zero mercy. This was for the right to sleep on the bed tonight after all!

The Music and Mathias and Isaac are playing in there heads for the right to sleep on the bed

"Wait! No! Stop! I'm not ready!" Isaac launched a string of protests as his hands fumbled for his cards. Even without the head start, Mathias was fast. The cheating on the deck deal and the flying start all but sealed the boy's fate. He tried desperately to catch up. Even if it was a lost cause, he wasn't going to give Mathias the satisfaction of surrendering. No, he was going to go down fighting.

Mathais was pressed to a standstill on his end having gone through his laid out cards but like any sibling he couldn’t help but mess with his sibling and rattle the cage some. “Move move move slow poke! You got a five, six and seven right there! When did you turn into a grandpa!” Mathias said, laying on the pressure. The game couldn't proceed till Isaac had also come to stand still or ran out his laid out card to slap for the smallest pile. No matter what, Mathias was at the advantage. Just a few more cards...

Something on the Datapad Cyd’s eye, and she swung herself off her bunk. “What do you think of this?” She asked, holding the tablet between Mathias and the cards.

“Think of what …” Mathias said reflexively, turning his attention away.

Isaac seized on the opportunity that his sister so generously afforded him. He quickly threw down his last card in his hand and slapped the smaller stack, claiming it. He dragged the pile towards his side of the table, leaving back with a self satisfied grin.

“No, wait, that’s nowhere near a dock,” Cyd said, taking her Personal Encylopedia back. She tousled Mathias’ hair and tossed her younger brother a wink as climbed back onto her bunk.

“Shiong mao niao!" Mathias swore, bemused. "You conniving little sneaks! Well at least you learned something from me.” He groused, he couldn’t even be mad! “Now it’s on!”

“Sorry LoLo,” Cyd giggled, looking around for things to make his stay on the floor more comfortable.

Both Cyd and Isaac had no illusions about how this would end. This was Mathias' domain. And now he was motivated to prove himself, which made the match mercifully brief. Mathias dispatched his baby brother in just a few more rounds. Isaac finally conceded defeat.

“My, this bed looks super comfy …” Mathias gloated, patting the bed. “ … wana lose another game? For funsies?”

"Want me to pee on your bunk? For funsies?" Isaac retorted, dripping with sarcasm as he cleared a space for a sleeping bag.
“I thought we house broke you already. I guess we'll have to lay out some newspapers for ya like when you were a kid.” Mathias needled.

Isaac always seemed to end up on the floor. He certainly could just accept his fate, but what's the fun in that? "So, anything good?" Isaac asked his sister who was still looking over her device.

“Plenty,” Cyd said with a playful grin and a tap of the datapad. “Take a look at this --”

Firefly - Second 'Verse

@Aalakrys

If you want I am happy to help. I do own Photoshop CS6 and would be happy to help resize and whatnot. Just let me know!

Firefly - Second 'Verse

@Aalakrys

What program are you using photoshop? Sai? Firework? Lightroom? Cs6 Or CC?

Firefly - Second 'Verse

@Aalakrys

[*center][*img]*BANNER LINK*[/img*]
[*url=*YOUTUBE LINK*][*img]*IMAGE LINK*[/img*][/url*][/center*]

MINUS all the * had to add those otherwise you won't see the code

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Skyejacked Part 3

Eavesdown Docks

Abby, Mathias, Cyd, Isaac

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

Abby’s hand was still. “We’ll aim tah please,” she attempted an amiable tone. “I can’t finish a receipt without actually receivin’.”

Cyd turned her head to nod to Mathias, switching sides with her lollipop again to prevent her cheek from getting raw. “Kiff. All good, Yobo.”

Mathias obliged. A neat tight roll of credits appeared as if by magic with a wrist flick, he rolled the bills along his fingers before holding it out for the carrot top to take and count.

"Mooi mooi!" Isaac clapped his hands, excited to go on another trip. "Make sure to save a few of them, brav. I wanna taste some of that lekker fish when we land!" he added with a huge grin.

With no undue fussin’, Abby relented and took the roll. She tucked the clipboard under one arm before popping the cash loose. “Three fares,” she said aloud, “ten percent discount each.” Stretching the sheaf across the palm of one hand, she drew off their fare amounts, counting aloud as she went. “That’s one,” the girl said as the bills slipped into her breast pocket. Soon after counting out all three fares and stuffing them away, she handed the rest of the wad back to the big’un. “Gimme a minute,” the girl offered as she reopened the clipboard. “I’ll have yer receipt straight up.”

The meager bills the kid handed back vanished into the folds of Mathias’s coat. He had only been a few off but it was something to practice on.

After some dedicated scribblin’, Abby held the receipt out. “Lists all yer names and fare amounts. Shows yer paid in full with my signatcher. We square?” she asked.

“Ja,Nee,” Cyd replied, adding: “Square,” for confirmation. “We have our guarantees, you have our credits. Shot, just point us in the right direction.”
“Folla me,” the girl offered a nod, “Mind the ramp; she gets slippery on leather soles. Welcome aboard tha China Doll,” Abby said as she led the three into the cargo hold. “If’n yah never flew a Firefly afore, here’s whatcha need tah know. Cargo Bay, Engine Room, an tha cockpit is all off limits. Galley’ll feed yah three times a day. That’s tha infirmary on the left,” she pointed out the metal enclosure as they came through the aft hatch. “Yer room’s here...first on tha right. Also closest tah tha lavatory.” She slid the panel aside to permit the Skye’s into their new home. “After we’s in tha black I’ll come ‘round with some extra beddin’. Most like there’ll be food about then, too. Have yah got any questions?”

“Three squares?” Cyd repeated with a grin. “Cho - that’s super. I don’t have any off the top of my head.” She looked between her brothers to see if there were five by five also.

“Cho.” Mathias smiled making an ‘L’ with his index finger and thumb. The sign for everything being square. Chobo was thorough at least, understandable with her being new.

"I hope it's soon. I'm starving!" Isaac said as he munched on a fresh candy bar he just unwrapped as he followed along on the tour.

“You just ate Lo Lo! You're … eating … right now!” Mathias said, tugging on Issac's ear.

Isaac yelped in pain. "But that was, like, hours ago!" the teen whined.

“Thirty minutes ago!” Mathias said tartly.

"That long?!" Isaac said in annoyed exasperation.

“I promise, we brought food to hold them over,” Cyd apologized.

“Don’t lump me in with the bottomless pit here!” Mathias said, offended.

The deckhand waited for a break in their antics. “Name’s Abby,” she said evenly. Other deckhand’s called Hook. If yah need somethin’ while we’s in tha black, both Hook an’ me will help yah find it.. We got a bit afore we take off, if’n yah want tah see tha galley or tha sittin’ areas. Fer now I got some chores.”

“Shot, Abby!” Cyd said warmly. “We’ll look for you or Hook or the Captain if we need something.”

“Shiny,” the girl gave a final nod, then turned to sip through the cargo bay hatch.

“I got a good feeling about this boat, Yobo.” Cyd giggled, claiming one of the bunks by dropping her bag on it.

“Mahjong?” Mathias offered it to his siblings.

"Before or after one of those square meals I keep hearing about?" Isaac impatiently enquired.

“Mahjong,” Cyd agreed, ignoring Isaac’s request.

His request roundly denied, Isaac gave a petulant roll of his eyes and a sighed as he slumped into a chair around the table where the trio was to play. "I'll take first deal." he said, his tone flat and defeated.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Street Credits Part 6

Persephone City

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

The trio broke through the crowd into a full run. Whether it was how they practiced or just how the card fell they ran like a trio of ducking in a perfect line and in height order. Mathias led the way cutting every corner and not even looking back, cat jumping over benches and vaulting over anything that would give them precious seconds to their lead.

Mathias saw an opportunity to shake their tiring pursuers. Honestly most, save for the most tenacious, purple bellies would be wheezing right about now. He turned sharply to the right into an ally. Mathias lept and rolled across the top of some dumpster left askew his siblings followed suit but definitely with more grace.

Luckily the gamble paid off and it wasn’t a dead end, just a chain link fence which was easy enough to bypass with their experience. Mathias quicklend his step to give him some lead time before skidding to halt, turned and squatted to give his siblings a boot to do a full vault over the top. Mathias at least was tall and strong so him taking care of it on his own was not an issue but at least this way the stride and speed of his brother and sister didn’t break. It was testament to how much they worked as a team.

Cyd being hands down the most graceful sailed over with her hand barely having to touch the top of the fence landing with well practiced ease. She made this look easy. Isaac however clearly did not want to be outshined! Mathias boosted him up and instead of a simple up and over he tapped the top of the fence with his fingers and moved into a double tuck with a twist landed and threw both hands in the air with a triumphant smile on his face.

“Show off!” Mathias groused and quickly clambered up and over the fence as two purple bellies struggled to move the dumpster out of the way. Mathias made a rude gesture to them from behind the fence, confident at this point there was no way they were catching up to them now.

Cyd slowed to a jog, spinning on her toes to celebrate. “Well, the day was cut a little short, but that means maybe we can find some dinner by the docks.”

"I knewI it!" Isaac started excitedly, not even hearing his sister's suggestion. " I knew that you guys would get my secret signal!”

“That was smart thinking, LoLo.” His sister complimented. “Bon bagay. So what do you want to--”

“You see, when I started that fill as two beats in a phrase of four within a tuplet-I”

Mathias clapped a hand on Isaacs shoulder and another over his mouth, his protests muffled. “You were saying?”

“Are you sure he can breathe?” Cyd asked with a quirked eyebrow as Isaac flailed.

“Kukuku …” He snorted. “... no.” Mathias said deadpan.

“So, dinner?” Cyd finished.

“I could eat,” Mathias shrugged with a nod.

“Maybe we find ourselves a boat.” His sister added with optimism.

"Maybe." Mathias finally let his little brother go hoping he finally calmed a bit.

Isaac gulped some air as Mathias gave a cheerful clap of the teen's shoulder before starting off again. Undeterred, he continued with the exact same energy as he loped after them, "And then releasing by resolving back to six on the last two beats…"

Cyd side eyed her twin while pulling her hair into a messy bun as Isaac carried on. “He’s going to be insufferable for the rest of the day,” she warned.

"How is it you just noticed that?" Mathias retorted, mussing Isaac's hair.

"How kief are these things?" Isaac pulled off his headphones, marveling at his latest toy. "They really worked!"

“Cho, Cho, LoLo.” Cyd told him as she readjusted her backpack. Her stomach rumbled. “Let’s tucker up.”

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Street Credits Part 4

Persephone City

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

Mathias watched on from the back of the crowd after gathering his tisp and packing his meager tools of the trade. Thank the stars for his little brothers' quick thinking. He was easily the most naturally likable. Still they had been at this for some time and he figured it was time for a proper finale. Mathias wove through the growing crowd, a gentle hand here and congenial 'Pardon me' there till he got closer to the front. When Cyd danced her way near him, Mathias tossed a few credits into the pot and joined in the dance.

Now in all fairness Mathias did not consider himself a dancer, not like Cyd. It was just Cyd did not abide anyone in the family to be a rhythmless boar. It didn't help that being the tallest in the family. The sudden growth spurts and the constant feeling being discombobulated plagued him throughout the entirety of his youth. So when Cyd had begun teaching him various dance moves, it took years of buffoonery to look as good as he did now!

The tune Isaac switched to was exciting now, something to get the hands clapping as the crowd watched Cyd and Mathias ply their crafts.

The pair danced in time stomping and clapping to the rhythms of Isaac's beat, complementing each other in an already choreographed dance. The pair moved around slapping each other's hands bouncing and their feet continued to stomp in time with the music.

The crowd hooted and clapped at the display as the siblings sped up there dancing as if competing to see who would mess up first. While it was a mystery to the crowd Mathias already knew the conclusion.

Hint, hint it was him.

It was always him.

Firefly - Second 'Verse

Street Credits Part 1

Persephone City

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

It was a little after noon in the heart of the Persephone City, though it was hard to tell with the tall buildings blocking the sun, but sunshine meant people would be out, about and enjoying the warm weather. All the better the hustle it would be for the Skye clan. The bustling square was a nicer spot in the city, one with a bit more bodies with a bit more money for a trio of buskers to ply their respective trade. But competition was fierce, and that talentless ass making balloon animals seemed to be taking away their potential dinners. Knots of people came and went but the best ones were those who stayed on for a quick bit of street entertainment.

Isaac, the youngest, was beating rhythmically on various cans, tins and buckets weaving a complicated beat onlookers could bob their head to, Cyd, the middle and only girl danced and undulated to the rhythm with a hat to encourage tips. With a welcoming bright smile and a piercing stare she tipped over those who might part with a credit to most definitely parting with a credit or two. Mathias was pulling his own weight as well, there wasn’t room for laziness.

The eldest of the trio had the charm cranked up to 11. “ … and is this your card?” Mathias asked, holding a random card up from the deck. The dark-haired girl who was currently the center of everyone's attention blinked and looked embarrassed before shaking her head ‘No’.

“Really?” Mathias asked, checking the card. The young girl shook her head ‘No’ bashfully.

“Strange …” Mathias said, making a show of looking through the deck. “... Ah! I see the problem … it’s not in the deck!” A quick snap of his wrist and suddenly a card apperated into existence. “There she is, the tricky queen of hearts.” He started showing the card to the girl and crowd, another flick and the card turned into a red carnation that he presented to the girl who clapped with a bright smile and red cheeks. The crowd clapped along beaming as he finished his set. “And don't forget folk if you liked what you please generously leave a tip!” He encouraged reshuffling the worn deck of cards.

Being social like this was exhausting for Mathias but he was good at it.