Wondering and Wandering

"Hum... Now what?"
Being 'kidnapped' or 'rescued', whatever you'd want to call it, Swindle wandered the new place quietly. Usually, he'd find someone and pick up conversation, mostly involving trading and dealing, but here, he couldn't, mainly because he'd rather not sell without a 'permit' aboard this ship. Oh sure, he sold illegal stuff... illegally before, but he certainly didn't want to get on the wrong side of the Dictator. Or even that... Sic? Especially that one, he was testy. So Swindle tried to be... 'good'? Or at least until he knew more about the place.

Hence him wandering about like a confused dog. "Hm... Dining Room...", his tank was already full from his previous stop. No need to explore there. "Exercise Room... ha~!", he chuckled a bit, having no need for that room. These places were of no real interest. He actually would've wanted to gone to the hangar and perhaps look at the cargo bay... but that was probably a bad idea. Especially since he had a bad tendency to loot ships.

"This place is rather dull...", he sighed and just continued walking the halls. Surely he'd find something to do.

"That depends on how you look at things, Sir." A voice peeped up from behind Swindle. Athanasios was standing there, in his blue shirt and black vest, calmly looking at the metal giant.

The ten year old had been lurking and plotting, devising schemes of his own. He had roots in the mafia, and was still as ready to keep the 'business' going over here. The problem was that he was a mob boss without supplies and a crew. His family and associates were light years away by now; he would probably never see the rest of the mafia he was apart of again. Perhaps it was time for this uprooted plant to start gaining new roots in this new pot.

Getting annoyed with these boring analogies, the young Lasombra had wandered around the Nexus, searching for a potential associate. It would be difficult to get other power players to give the needed respect to him and see him as a true mafia boss, but it would be well worth it.

"I see it as just waiting to be shined with something I like to call cooperation." the child stated, staring up at the robotic collosus before him. His face was devoid of emotion, almost devoid of any sign of life.

Overcast wandered the halls, having recently woken up from a short nap. In truth, vampires didn't need to sleep, it didn't affect their health or state of mind at all, but getting some sleep once and a while was still nice. "Oy... This place is-" OV shut up upon hearing a couple voices. One was that robot... What was his name...? Overcast was never good with names. But the other sounded like a child.

She jogged around the corner to see what was up. Anything would be better then just standin' aroun-

BAM!

OV ran right into Swindle's leg. "OW. METAL HURTS." OV rubbed her nose and got up off the floor. "Ow... Uh... Heh... Hi?" OV waved at the two with an awkward smile on her face. Well if that wasn't fail...

The young cyborg was starting to get bored out of her mind. She wasn't getting along with practically everyone she came accross, and she didn't want to admit that it had been her fault in the first place. So what if she acted the way she did? They weren't worth having as freinds if they couldn't put up with her. And she was no where close to changing herself just to please the others around her.

Hearing some speaking, she decided to follow the sound. Metal upon metal could be heard as she walked towards them. There was that awesome robot she had met in the common room, the Shortstack, and the pale skinned one.

"Well DUH metal hurts. It doesn't take a fucking genious to figure that out." she stepped out from behind a corner.

Alex...you better not be getting yourself into any trouble.

He didn't know why he was fussing over it. The boy had told him that he was going to go...do something that sounded safe enough, but knowing that SiC was never far away made Shane uneasy about Alex being by himself. Perhaps those unfamiliar voices around the corner would provide something to help distract his mind.

...Interesting and yet very...strange. A robot, a vampire, a cyborg, and a ten year old boy?

After watching the mix-matched group from the shadows of an adjcent hallway for several minutes, Shane decided that he was interested in making a few new aquaintences. Particularly the robot and the young cyborg, who, if he recalled correctly, was named Jana. There was one small problem; the ten year old boy who had originally addressed the impressive form of a robot, was not your average kid. Shane could see what he was by the way he spoke and carried himself and it made him wonder just how to go about interacting one so many years beyond their actual age.

Shane literally bit his tougue to keep from laughing as he watched one individual he didn't know run right into the giant robot's leg. The comment from the young cyborg didn't help his efforts in any way, at all.

It's now or never, while the mood is easy.

"That did look just a tad painful," He eased out of his hiding place, still holding his sidearm and, stepping over to Overcast, offered her a hand. A bemused smirk became evident as he said, "I hope it's not every day that we go around, running into the back of giant robots." So what if he wasn't supposed to be nice to people, as Warp had so gently put it. There were some things that had learned long before he learned his profession.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

What the Lasombra was hoping to be a more private encounter had turned into a festival of people in a few seconds. This ruined Athanasios's current plan, but he would not give up on his mafia related goals. The boy would find a way and be triumphant. But for now, he had to stop his devious efforts and once again put on the mask of a normal ten year old. This would only be a minor setback in the cainite's endeavors to gain power in this new setting.

Letting loose, Thanos Ephah allowed himself to seem relaxed and content. Emotion filled his face again as he smiled. He let out a little laugh at the vampiress who ran into Swindle's leg.

We will just wait and see, shall we.

Athanasios Ephah wrote:

"That depends on how you look at things, Sir." A voice peeped up from behind Swindle. Athanasios was standing there, in his blue shirt and black vest, calmly looking at the metal giant.

"I see it as just waiting to be shined with something I like to call cooperation." the child stated, staring up at the robotic collosus before him. His face was devoid of emotion, almost devoid of any sign of life.

Swindle turned and looked down at the small boy. "I see everything as an opportunity, really, but it's hard when you're trapped in one place for so long...", he tilted his head, about to ask the child's name, but listened to the boy's sentence. "Cooperation?", Swindle asked interested and curiously, but was interrupted by a loud noise.

Overcast wrote:

BAM!

OV ran right into Swindle's leg. "OW. METAL HURTS." OV rubbed her nose and got up off the floor. "Ow... Uh... Heh... Hi?" OV waved at the two with an awkward smile on her face. Well if that wasn't fail...

"... Hello, miss... Overcast...", Swindle wasn't sure how to greet the woman, but smiled anyway, keeping up his 'charming' demeanor. "Nice to uh... see you again."

Jana wrote:

"Well DUH metal hurts. It doesn't take a fucking genious to figure that out." she stepped out from behind a corner.

More people! Where were they coming from? Swindle didn't mind, but the sudden appearance of everyone was a little surprising. "And hello to you, too, miss Jana, I think?" Again, he remained nice and calm.

Shane Corentin wrote:

"That did look just a tad painful," He eased out of his hiding place, still holding his sidearm and, stepping over to Overcast, offered her a hand. A bemused smirk became evident as he said, "I hope it's not every day that we go around, running into the back of giant robots."

Another one. Jeez, this place was more abundant in people than he had thought. Which actually, was very good. More people meant more sales. Swindle snickered quietly to himself, observing the actions of the people. "Seems this place might not be so dull after all..."

OV took the hand offered to her and was soon helped back to her feet. "Eh... Thanks..." She grumbled as she wiped at her clothes, in case her little meeting with the floor and gotten any dirt or dust onto them. "And don't worry, I ain't intendin' on runnin' into anymore giant robots. Literally." She coughed into her hand, more out of awkwardness then anything.

"Heh... Sorry 'bout runnin' into ya' like that. And you, cyborg kid who's name escapes me. STFU. OR I WILL EVISERATE YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS. And I really don't want to. One, its messy and gross, two, I'd be picking intrails outta my nails for WEEKS. Not fun." Despite being a vampire Overcast HATED the sight of blood and guts. Plus, she wasn't kidding about the nails bit. Not fun.

Of course yelling such threats wasn't exactly best for making friends. Not that OV cared, not really. She had given up on that a long time ago.

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"Eh... Thanks..." She grumbled as she wiped at her clothes, in case her little meeting with the floor and gotten any dirt or dust onto them. "And don't worry, I ain't intendin' on runnin' into anymore giant robots. Literally." She coughed into her hand, more out of awkwardness then anything.

Overcast...Hmm. Shane gave a curt nod in response, retreating into his usual state of almost complete silence as his eyes ran over the group again. He only knew Jana by Warp's description of her; the rest were completely new.

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And you, cyborg kid who's name escapes me. STFU. OR I WILL EVISERATE YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS. And I really don't want to. One, its messy and gross, two, I'd be picking intrails outta my nails for WEEKS. Not fun."

Oh...great. His gaze flicked from the vampire, to Jana, and back again, before settling on Jana. Shane hoped that she'd catch his gaze and not react, or at least not react in a voilital manner. Memories of the last time he'd seen Jana get into a fight in the exersice room were returning, uninvited.

Jana's organic eye was rolled at Ov, and her robotic eye faded in and out. "It's Jana, Jah-nah. And cosmos you don't need to fucking yell out threats, for a simple pointing out the obvious." she snapped back at OV. The cyborg had no people skills and it was being shown in this conversation.

Jana's eye caught Shane's but said nothing. She just kept her gaze on OV.

With all of this commotion, Athanasios undoubtedly felt uncomfortable. The performance he had devised was not for this audience. Carefully choosing how he would manipulated the Nexus, Little Ephah thought it would be best to reconvene with any powerful people to be; he would have to seek Swindle another time. Thus, the Sabbat vampire decided to ditch this Popsicle stand and plot more devious schemes.

The Lasombra looked up at Swindle, smiling kindly as he waved goodbye. He then slipped away from the growing group of people, heading off to lurk the hallways of the Nexus.

Oh yes, Swindle, you will be mine

I quit. Shane fumed internally. Seeing that there was going to be no point in trying to stop either of the two...ladies, he quietly stepped back and leaned against the wall, and shot Swindle a world-weary glance. For a brief moment he entertained the idea of following the young boy, who had obviously decided hold off on his plans for the time being, but then let it go.

Swindle watched and waved at the boy leaving, but realized the two girls were fighting.
Oh great. He didn't know how to stop women from fighting, women were actually one of his harder obstacles in his business... and when they were riled up, it was a lot harder for them to be calmed down. Ironic, really. "Ladies, ladies! Please! Is there really any reason to fight? Just an exchange of words... that's all it was, really. Just... calm down, please?" He waved his hands at them, but his voice was actually lower than their yelling, he honestly didn't want to get involved, but...

He couldn't slip away, really. He was too big. Too big of a distraction and they'd notice him walking away. "Why don't we calm down...", his voice was getting lower and quieter with each suggestion, then noticed Shane. Swindle very swiftly stepped over the girls and stood against the wall with the man. "Women, huh?", he looked down at the man and smiled. "They're too sensitive!... By the way, the name's Swindle... I've yet to meet someone as calm as you here...", his voice remained low and quiet, not wanting to draw the girls' attention.

The vampiress huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, and proceeding to pout a bit. "Fine... Hallway ain't a good place ta' fight anyway... Its too crowded and too small..." She grumbled, shooting a glare at the young cyborg. "Stupide kid... Je devrais rip qu'elle pièces... Plus tard... Trop de témoins." OV grumbled under her breath, continuing to grumble in French. She cleared her throat and sent an unamused look at Swindle. "Okay, now yer stereotyping."

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Swindle very swiftly stepped over the girls and stood against the wall with the man. "Women, huh?", he looked down at the man and smiled. "They're too sensitive!... By the way, the name's Swindle... I've yet to meet someone as calm as you here...", his voice remained low and quiet, not wanting to draw the girls' attention.

"Hm." Shane nodded his agreement. " Switching his sidearm to his left hand, Shane extended a hand toward Swindle and keeping his voice low said, "I'm Shane. Calm is...well, it's what I'm trained for."

Swindle. Gotta remember that one.

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She cleared her throat and sent an unamused look at Swindle. "Okay, now yer stereotyping."

He couldn't help looking a bit sheepish as he cracked a half-grin at Overcast. This was going to go one of two ways.

"Stereotyping? Not at all, I'm just saying..."
He was never good at talking to women. This sort of proved that. "I didn't mean to offend, in all honesty, ma'am. Not at all. I've just taken a note that women TEND to be MORE sensitive than men. Is that wrong?" Swindle tried to sound sincere as he could, because he was. He waved his hand a bit in front of the woman, sort of like 'don't hurt me' surrendering.

He glanced back at Shane, "Well, you're trained very well in the ways of being calm, then. Good to meet you." He was tempted to just walk away from Overcast and Shane, but found it to be rude, so stuck around for just a tad longer... but hopefully not too long.

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He glanced back at Shane, "Well, you're trained very well in the ways of being calm, then. Good to meet you." He was tempted to just walk away from Overcast and Shane, but found it to be rude, so stuck around for just a tad longer... but hopefully not too long.

"Thanks," Shane replied, retracting his hand and leaning against the wall. But he kept is gaze on the massive robot. "Good to meet you, too."

((sry for the extremely short post. I'm scatter-brained today))

"Yeah," said Jana, agreeing with Overcast about the hallway not being the brightest place to fight. "there are too many video cameras and not enough blind spots." she motioned to a hidden camera that was looking over the scene from afar. She looked over at Swindle, "We are not, "sensitive" thank you very much...but yeah I guess we can be compared to men..."

Though Jana never liked people very much, she always loved robotics, something that she could tell Swindle was. She never could stay very mad at them. Looking at Overcast she narrowed her eye as she said something in an unknown language to her. She made a small almost unnoticeable twitch and looked over at Shane.

"Yeah, you are pretty calm." she said, suddenly not speaking in an snippy tone like she had before.

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She looked over at Swindle, "We are not, "sensitive" thank you very much...but yeah I guess we can be compared to men..."

Shane's face briefly screwed up into a look that said that he knew better than to think that Jana was not sensitive, but said nothing, his gaze flicking between Jana, Overcast and Swindle for a moment.

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She made a small almost unnoticeable twitch and looked over at Shane. "Yeah, you are pretty calm." she said, suddenly not speaking in an snippy tone like she had before.

His face reverted back to it's normal dead-pan state as Jana spoke, and he sighed almost audibly at here statment. What could he say? He was an assain, trained to be a silent, invisible observer until just the right moment. Hardly a job for overly excited, chatty individuals. "It's...just that, I have to be." He shrugged, hoping that none of them pried too far into the exact reason why.