Atom Cats Garage, Southeast corner of Boston, MA
Clad in a suit of power armor salvaged from the Brotherhood of Steel, Vina stepped forth with determination to challenge an enemy she had never faced, one that made her nervous beyond anything she'd seen before with few exceptions: freestyle poetry night with the Atom Cats. Sammy was spending the evening with her sister and most of the Pokemon had chosen to roam the wilderness; only Shaggy lay in the back of the improvised stage as a small gathering of fellow power armor enthusiasts waited patiently.
"When I wear my plates, I feel as if I could move the Earth,
No bullet can stop me, no blade can pierce,
Yet when I think of love, the thing that is of most worth,
Armor cannot guard from a pain most fierce.
My dearest fights in the depths of space,
She rides a horse with silver wings,
But I know she yearns to return to this place,
And out to her, my soul doth sings.
Thank you."
Vina stepped down from the hand-built stage as her audience politely clapped and cheered, many of them wearing power armor suits of their own. She murmured thank yous as she took a seat next to a being in a suit of T-60 armor with red flames painted on it; his name was Duke, if Vina remembered correctly.
"Far out poem, pal," Duke said with a nod.
Vina nodded back. "Thanks. Never tried poetry before."
"Could've fooled me," the Atom Cat answered with a verbal grin.
Vina leaned over and began scratching one of Shaggy's heads while another visitor began reciting something about the joys of personalized armor. She politely clapped along with the rest of the group when he finished. Everyone took a turn reading, a generally-positive atmosphere purveying, until throats were dry and fonts of inspiration dryer. Once the event turned to mingling, Vina turned to leave, whistling to Shaggy before leaving the garage.
"You can read a poem next time, Shaggy," Vina promised. "Might even get you a suit of your own."
The Zweilous snorted.
Showing posts with label Sealander. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sealander. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2016
Monday, March 16, 2015
On-the-Job Training
Rebecca huffed and puffed as she slowly made her way up the cliff face. Even though her armor had a built-in A/C and a water dispenser, she was sweating bullets with each step up she took. For what seemed like the thousandth time that hour, she switched on her radio back to Vina.
"Hey V, remind me why I'm the one climbing up here and you're back on the ship watching," she asked, more to distract her from the burning in her lungs than to actually get information.
"You're far more stealthy in your body armor than I am flying around in my armor," Vina explained. "I could just charge in guns a'blazing, but then the mark would escape and I'd feel bad."
Rebecca snorted. "Okay, fine, that's reasonable. So why am I carrying Shaggy?"
"Deinos can't use ropes and pulleys and all that fun climbing gear, and you need his help."
Rebecca nodded. "Fine, fine. Why am I carrying Flutters?"
Although unable to hear the conversation over the radio, the Noibat perched on Rebecca's shoulder chirped happily.
"I don't know," Vina answered. "Have you tried asking her to fly herself up?"
Rebecca grunted, pushing herself now that the top of the cliff was in sight. "No. She listens to you and ignores me while making nests out of my shirts."
The next few minutes passed in silence; Rebecca continued to put one hand in front of the other, not breaking her concentration to tell the flying Pokemon to fly. Soon enough, she'd be at the top and she could catch her breath, have a drink, and then set up her weapons to provide some covering fire when Vina actually launched her attack on the bandit camp the two Sealanders had been hired to bust.
Within the camp, bandits milled about as they sorted the goods from their latest haul. Marauding men and women casually exchanged insults, jokes, and anecdotes as they went about their business. Rebecca could see some basic detection equipment - probably good enough to detect tanks, planes, or robot armors - but the camp lacked more than a few bored sentries for keeping out spies.
"Alright, Shag, you sit there while Mama Rebecca sets up her toys."
Rebecca patted the Deino on his head and began setting up several new toys the Sealanders had been given: an automated mortar, a light machine gun, and some kind of tranquilizer-laden missile or something. She wasn't entirely sure what was in it, but she went about setting it up as Vina had repeatedly instructed and drilled her on.
"Good job," Rebecca's wife had said in praise. "We'll make a passable infantryman out of you yet."
Once the last weapon was set up, Rebecca sent a double-click over her radio: the signal for Vina to move in. With the call made, Rebecca immediately activated the weapons. The mortar scattered explosive shells about and the missile shot into a tent and scattered a paralyzing white mist pouring out while Rebecca laid down a blanket of suppressive fire, cutting down any bandit too brave or stupid to find cover. It was a rather easy job: hold down the trigger, move the barrel around, and ignore the occasional bullet casing bouncing off her helmet.
Once the return fire came, it got slightly more serious. Long range pistol shots weren't going to do much to her, but once the bandits got out a grenade launcher, Rebecca was almost convinced to bug out.
Then Vina arrived in 15 feet of heavy metal, firepower, and thrusters; her beloved heirloom power armor Siebzehn. A big blue hulk, Siebzehn barreled through the bandit defenders like it hadn't even noticed they were there. The only sign that Vina HAD noticed anyone in her way was a volley of missiles fired behind her as she burst into the tent and burst out a moment later with an unconscious humanoid in her arms.
"I've got the mark," Vina reported. "Call for the ship and let's go get paid."
Rebecca nodded, summoning their new spacecraft. She could never remember the current name, the ship's serial number, off the top of her head. She really should get around to naming it. That would have to wait though as a bandit had managed to get close to her position.
Rebecca stared down the barrel of a pistol, wondering if a shot at this range would be able to pierce the lenses on her helmet. A purely academic question though, as the bandit soon found his shooting arm clamped between a pair of vicious, burning jaws as Shaggy took offense to someone pointing a gun at his master. Flutters fluttered about, clawing at the bandit's back as the ship finally showed up.
"Alright, pets, it's time to go home," Rebecca ordered, picking up the gear hastily.
"Hey V, remind me why I'm the one climbing up here and you're back on the ship watching," she asked, more to distract her from the burning in her lungs than to actually get information.
"You're far more stealthy in your body armor than I am flying around in my armor," Vina explained. "I could just charge in guns a'blazing, but then the mark would escape and I'd feel bad."
Rebecca snorted. "Okay, fine, that's reasonable. So why am I carrying Shaggy?"
"Deinos can't use ropes and pulleys and all that fun climbing gear, and you need his help."
Rebecca nodded. "Fine, fine. Why am I carrying Flutters?"
Although unable to hear the conversation over the radio, the Noibat perched on Rebecca's shoulder chirped happily.
"I don't know," Vina answered. "Have you tried asking her to fly herself up?"
Rebecca grunted, pushing herself now that the top of the cliff was in sight. "No. She listens to you and ignores me while making nests out of my shirts."
The next few minutes passed in silence; Rebecca continued to put one hand in front of the other, not breaking her concentration to tell the flying Pokemon to fly. Soon enough, she'd be at the top and she could catch her breath, have a drink, and then set up her weapons to provide some covering fire when Vina actually launched her attack on the bandit camp the two Sealanders had been hired to bust.
Within the camp, bandits milled about as they sorted the goods from their latest haul. Marauding men and women casually exchanged insults, jokes, and anecdotes as they went about their business. Rebecca could see some basic detection equipment - probably good enough to detect tanks, planes, or robot armors - but the camp lacked more than a few bored sentries for keeping out spies.
"Alright, Shag, you sit there while Mama Rebecca sets up her toys."
Rebecca patted the Deino on his head and began setting up several new toys the Sealanders had been given: an automated mortar, a light machine gun, and some kind of tranquilizer-laden missile or something. She wasn't entirely sure what was in it, but she went about setting it up as Vina had repeatedly instructed and drilled her on.
"Good job," Rebecca's wife had said in praise. "We'll make a passable infantryman out of you yet."
Once the last weapon was set up, Rebecca sent a double-click over her radio: the signal for Vina to move in. With the call made, Rebecca immediately activated the weapons. The mortar scattered explosive shells about and the missile shot into a tent and scattered a paralyzing white mist pouring out while Rebecca laid down a blanket of suppressive fire, cutting down any bandit too brave or stupid to find cover. It was a rather easy job: hold down the trigger, move the barrel around, and ignore the occasional bullet casing bouncing off her helmet.
Once the return fire came, it got slightly more serious. Long range pistol shots weren't going to do much to her, but once the bandits got out a grenade launcher, Rebecca was almost convinced to bug out.
Then Vina arrived in 15 feet of heavy metal, firepower, and thrusters; her beloved heirloom power armor Siebzehn. A big blue hulk, Siebzehn barreled through the bandit defenders like it hadn't even noticed they were there. The only sign that Vina HAD noticed anyone in her way was a volley of missiles fired behind her as she burst into the tent and burst out a moment later with an unconscious humanoid in her arms.
"I've got the mark," Vina reported. "Call for the ship and let's go get paid."
Rebecca nodded, summoning their new spacecraft. She could never remember the current name, the ship's serial number, off the top of her head. She really should get around to naming it. That would have to wait though as a bandit had managed to get close to her position.
Rebecca stared down the barrel of a pistol, wondering if a shot at this range would be able to pierce the lenses on her helmet. A purely academic question though, as the bandit soon found his shooting arm clamped between a pair of vicious, burning jaws as Shaggy took offense to someone pointing a gun at his master. Flutters fluttered about, clawing at the bandit's back as the ship finally showed up.
"Alright, pets, it's time to go home," Rebecca ordered, picking up the gear hastily.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Vina and Rebecca in "Hog Hunting Pt 1"
“Madams Vina and Rebecca"
Aboard the tramp freighter Ivory Port, Vina Sealander and her partner-in-crime/wife Rebecca looked at the massive crate with interest. Aside from the note written by Gluttony, there was not a scrap of paper to be found on the container's exterior. Even the courier who delivered the thing didn't even have an invoice or shipping manifest to give to them. Vina briefly thought about getting into a suit of power armor as the couple's pet Deino, Shaggy, pawed at its side.
"I still think we should throw it into space and just go to 264," she decided.
"Oh, come on! Where's the fun in that?" Rebecca protested, grabbing a crow bar. "I want to see what inside."
"Even though the box clearly scans as containing explosive?" Vina asked.
"BECAUSE it clearly scans as containing explosives!" Rebecca countered. "The note even says it has guns in it."
Before Vina could protest any futher, Rebecca had already pried the top off of the box and dove in. The various "ooh" and "aah" sounds attracted the notice of Flutters, the Sealanders' other pet Pokemon, a Noibat, who looked into the box and almost fell off as Rebecca popped out hefting a large weapon.
"Check it out! A light machine gun, a bundle of RPGs, and even a big ass bazooka!"
Rebecca dove back into the crate, examining the contents even as Flutters hopped in. The Noibat squealed happily as he flew back out wearing a pair of goggles.
"Come back! The goggles...they do something!" Rebecca shouted, finally pulling herself out.
Vina casually continued to watch her partner wallow in a pile of unarmed explosives and armor-piercing ammunition. By this time, Shaggy had scampered off to play in the galley or the escape pod or the reactor core...Vina was never sure where the little Pokemon got to.
"I hope you realize that you just volunteered to inventory those bullets you're so happily scattering," she said at last.
That put an end to Rebecca's shenanigans at least. Probably temporarily, but oh well.
"Alright, alright, I'll count the bullets later," Rebecca conceded. "Does this mean we're going to Sector 246?"
Vina nodded. "It's half of Gluttony's gift after all. So thoughtful of him even though we barely know him."
Vina then spun around on her heel, heading off to find Shaggy as a steady "1...2...3..." echoed behind her.
Aboard the tramp freighter Ivory Port, Vina Sealander and her partner-in-crime/wife Rebecca looked at the massive crate with interest. Aside from the note written by Gluttony, there was not a scrap of paper to be found on the container's exterior. Even the courier who delivered the thing didn't even have an invoice or shipping manifest to give to them. Vina briefly thought about getting into a suit of power armor as the couple's pet Deino, Shaggy, pawed at its side.
"I still think we should throw it into space and just go to 264," she decided.
"Oh, come on! Where's the fun in that?" Rebecca protested, grabbing a crow bar. "I want to see what inside."
"Even though the box clearly scans as containing explosive?" Vina asked.
"BECAUSE it clearly scans as containing explosives!" Rebecca countered. "The note even says it has guns in it."
Before Vina could protest any futher, Rebecca had already pried the top off of the box and dove in. The various "ooh" and "aah" sounds attracted the notice of Flutters, the Sealanders' other pet Pokemon, a Noibat, who looked into the box and almost fell off as Rebecca popped out hefting a large weapon.
"Check it out! A light machine gun, a bundle of RPGs, and even a big ass bazooka!"
Rebecca dove back into the crate, examining the contents even as Flutters hopped in. The Noibat squealed happily as he flew back out wearing a pair of goggles.
"Come back! The goggles...they do something!" Rebecca shouted, finally pulling herself out.
Vina casually continued to watch her partner wallow in a pile of unarmed explosives and armor-piercing ammunition. By this time, Shaggy had scampered off to play in the galley or the escape pod or the reactor core...Vina was never sure where the little Pokemon got to.
"I hope you realize that you just volunteered to inventory those bullets you're so happily scattering," she said at last.
That put an end to Rebecca's shenanigans at least. Probably temporarily, but oh well.
"Alright, alright, I'll count the bullets later," Rebecca conceded. "Does this mean we're going to Sector 246?"
Vina nodded. "It's half of Gluttony's gift after all. So thoughtful of him even though we barely know him."
Vina then spun around on her heel, heading off to find Shaggy as a steady "1...2...3..." echoed behind her.
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