Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:20 pm by Pago Julastra
Pago had to remark to himself that he enjoyed the way Priya went along with his laid-back demeanor. It was a nice change of pace from dealing with politicians and criminals: two groups that were more alike than they would ever care to admit. Self-centered, uptight, and way too full of themselves ...
Having Priya fall right into step as if they were about to enter a gala rather than a starship and then continue to play the role of the coy chase flawlessly?
Stop him dead right there, he was in love.
" Now, how do you go assuming that there is a lovely woman involved in this? Maybe there's a Chevin beneath all of this."
Pago chuckled as he escorted her inside his vessel, the main hold both spacious and, strangely enough, meticulously clean. Not a spanner or a mug out of place, even though the decoration ... wasn't. Drab greys and whites, with some black accents. Nothing entirely fancy, but Pago enjoyed running a clean ship. Literally.
" I've met Chevin, miss," he tilted his hat back to look into her visor as he recounted the short anecdote, clearly disturbed by the creatures she had referenced.
" If you are one, well, I must say the advances in slim-fitting body-gloves truly is a wonder to behold," he laughed, clearly neither uncomfortable nor wary as she held close to him. The comfort and warmth of another was a cherished thing in The Galaxy. Far be it from him to spoil the moment.
What did spoil it, however, was the sound of something banging loudly from the cargo hold, coupled with a scurrying of feet, the sound of scratches against metal mixed with an almost puppy-like scampering.
" Ah."
He sighed.
" Now here comes trouble ..."
Bounding out of the cargo bay towards the starboard-rear of the ship was a small creature, no more than a yard tall. Rich, thick, blue fur covered a slim body clearly feminine by Galactic standards, in turn only clothed in a simple purple tank-top, a pair of dark trousers, and no form of footwear. Around her waist was a belt that contained a dizzying array of pouches, holsters, tools, and implements, everything from a grappling hook and accompanying wire to sets of hydrospanners to three comm devices that looked perfectly identical, as well as an incredibly strange looking blaster on her hip, small enough to fit into her hands.
" You told me you'd be back in five, not twenty, in five, and it has clearly been twenty and not five, nor has it been twenty-five, or five-twenty. Worry me to death, you bet. Considered scavenging nav-codes from your body. Very worried. Happier now."
The creature stopped its slightly high-pitched ramp upon realizing that there was someone else with Pago. Her ears poked up curiously, flicking this way and that even as her hackles raised in anxiety, unsure of the situation. Regardless, she rushed head-first up to Priya and took her armored hand in her gloved one, rubbing the Hunter's palm against her bewhiskered muzzle nonchalantly.
" Metal Lady sure is scary. Smells of carbon scoring and ionic discharge. You fight Mister Pago? No, you didn't fight Mister Pago, Mister Pago doesn't let people he fights with on the ship. Not in his arms, they go in cuffs. Metal Cuffs like Metal Lady: non-Squibs not smart enough to pick them. Not nimble enough. Squibs fast though, Squibs smart."
Pago could only chuckle as he waved a hand to the small Squib even as she continued to direct her investigation of Priya, only stopping once she was assured there was no threat. She came to stand by her much-taller companion, big, bright, blue eyes looking over the other Hunter. Her ears remained up though her fur had smoothed back down. She seemed to fidget with her hands, as if trying to work out some sort of puzzle between her fingers as she regarded Priya.
" Miss Priya, this is Vallabeeraglenneqib. She's my partner and co-pilot here on the Cheveyo."
" Partner-Partner. Not Mating-Partner, Mister Pago is much too big and Vallabeeraglenneqib is much too small. Elders frown on us liking smooth-skins. I like Mister Pago though. We have smooth skin too, but we also have fur. Fur and skin, Mister Pago has no fur. So cold, must be so cold. I fix ship and keep warm so it is not cold. Fix gun too. Could even fix Metal Lady. Vallabeeraglenneqib best there is at fixing, you bet."
Pago could only shrug helplessly towards Priya. It appeared that the small Squib had been his only real constant company for some time. Over the years, he had simply grown accustomed to her strange mannerisms.
" You can just call her Val for short."
Even as Val prattled on about absolutely everything she could (and could not) fix (she was very adamant on just how much trouble droids gave her; "Walkie-Talkie Shiny Mans", as she called them), Pago moved on towards the cockpit, ushering Priya along with him.
" Make yourself at home," he offered, " Mah pankpa e chu pankpa. Though I suggest we get looking after our running fugitive sooner rather than later ..." I've met Chevin, miss, Mah pankpa e chu pankpa. Though I suggest we get looking after our running fugitive sooner rather than later ...